THE Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda has said all the money that MPs received last year under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) was fully accounted for.
In an interview yesterday on the side-lines of the ongoing National Assembly Institutional Strategic Plan (2018-2023) Design Workshop in Bulawayo, Adv Mudenda said only four out of a possible 120 Parliamentarians failed to access CDF because of late submission of their respective constituency projects to the Parliament.
“I can recall that 98 percent of CDF money disbursed was accounted for and I think there are about four Members of Parliament who did not take that money. They were late in making submissions for the projects within their respective constituencies,” he said.
“I can’t recall the names of those who didn’t collect the CDF money as all the records are in Harare.” In February this year, it was reported that some MPs were failing to meet the stringent requirements to access the CDF.
Parliament’s Standing Rules and Orders Committee (SROC) has come up with basic minimum conditions that have to be satisfied before MPs can access the funds meant to sponsor specified projects in various constituencies across the country.
The stringent conditions are specifically meant to prevent abuse of funds.
Under the new CDF constitution, the Parliamentary Staff Management Committee is mandated to disburse money to constituencies for project implementation.
In terms of Article 6 of the CDF constitution as read together with Section 12 of the Accounting Officer’s Manual, legislators are expected to submit a list of identified projects and signed minutes of the CDF Committee showing approval of the identified projects.
The estimated cost for the projects in each constituency should not exceed $50 000.
Adv Mudenda said once the 2019 national budgetary process is completed, MPs may start getting CDF funds.
“Once the national budget is approved by Parliament, then disbursements can start, but not before that,” said Adv Mudenda.
Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube is expected to present the 2019 fiscal policy statement on November 22.
This week, Parliament hosts a pre-budget seminar in Bulawayo with legislators expected to give their input into the next fiscal policy statement.
The forthcoming national budget is expected to highlight fiscal reforms anchored on driving the country towards a prosperous and empowered upper middle income nation by 2030. Herald
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