Dowa's Mkukula-B ADC Members Seek Transparency in District Council's Financial Management
Mkukula-B ADC members raise concerns about district council's financial management.
Dowa, Malawi — Members of the Mkukula-B Area Development Committee (ADC) in Dowa South-East constituency have raised concerns about the transparency and accountability of the district council's financial management, writes Winston Mwale.
The members of the committee raised their concerns at a one-day quarterly community interface meeting on Friday on the council's funding baskets, including the School Improvement Grant (SIG), Constituency Development Fund (CDF), District Development Fund (DDF), and locally generated revenue.
Specifically, the members inquired about the council's process for collecting market fees, the monthly amount collected, and how the funds are allocated.
They also wanted to know how suppliers and contractors are identified and engaged.
The members expressed their desire to ensure that the funds collected are being used effectively and efficiently to benefit the community.
They requested that the council provide more transparency in their financial management to ensure accountability.
"We want to know how our money is being spent," said the chairperson of the committee, Wickson Bvumbwe.
"We want to make sure that it is being used for the benefit of the community, not for the benefit of a few individuals."
Bvumbwe also pointed out that the members are not happy with the way the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is administered.
"Nearly all the projects are initiated without the knowledge of the ADC," he said.
"We suspect fishy deals. If anything, we feel the CDF should just be restructured or abolished altogether, as it appears it is not serving the interests of the poor but a few politicians."
Bvumbwe explains more in this Chichewa ( a local language in Malawi) interview:
The committee also raised concerns about the growing numbers of STIs, unwanted pregnancies, and challenges at the local health facility, where it was reported that pregnant women have to use torches because there is no power at the facility.
In response, council representatives provided an explanation of a number of concerns raised by the ADC, including their procedures for collecting market fees, allocating funds, and identifying and engaging suppliers and contractors.
The council's representatives assured the members that they were committed to transparency and accountability in their financial management.
"We understand your concerns," said Acting Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for Dowa District Council, Esan Kalele.
"We are committed to transparency and accountability in our financial management. We will work with you to ensure that your concerns are addressed."
MHRRC’s Capacity Development Associate, Noel Msiska, said this community-driven action is in line with the NGO’s project's outcome 2, where duty bearers are made to be accountable and transparent in the management of resources allocated to education, health, and social security.
"We are working with the ADC to ensure that the district council is held accountable for its financial management," he said.
"We believe that this is essential to ensuring that the resources allocated to education, health, and social security are used effectively and efficiently to benefit the community."
Msiska explains:
MHRRC is implementing Fighting Inequality project with support from NCA DCA Actalliance Joint Country Program.
The Malawi National Community Development Policy mandates Community Development department to offer services that grant state and non-state actors’ opportunity to engage with communities in a more coordinated way to meet local needs, address intractable problems, build capacity and support local development efforts. This interface is a direct application of the policy – bravo Dowa Council for being Responsive to the Nkukula B community!!!!