KARONGA: Karonga District Council has stressed commitment to ensuring transparency, accountability, and track public development funds meant for the district.
The council members made the assertion on Wednesday 16th June this year during an interface meeting organized by Luntha Television at the inception of a new project called Media role in enhancing sustainable development in Malawi to cover activities run by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace of Karonga diocese and Evangelical Association of Malawi all funded by Norad through NCA-DCA Joint Country Program.
Making a note of this, Chair for the Finance Committee at the council who is also the Ward Councillor for Mlare Ward, Mr. Beriamu Msukwa assured Luntha TV of the commitment towards tracking up locally generated funds such as Local Development Fund (LDF), District Development Fund, Local Generating Fund to mention a few.
“As a council, we are trying to bridge the gap on issues of inequalities that is there in our different departments. We want to commit ourselves for tracking, transparency and accountability.”
Reacting to remarks made by CCJP and Evangelical Association of Malawi on challenges of lack of schools, poor infrastructure, understaffing of schools in the district, Director for Education, Youth and sports in the council, Sara Jere concurred with observations raised
“We have challenges on inadequate classroom blocks, many infrastructures are not user-friendly to special needs learners, inadequate of staff houses, etc. We need to use the resources appropriately and track on the funds meant for the schools”, she confirmed.
The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in the Diocese of Karonga begun implementing the enhancing social accountability in local governance to reduce inequalities for an inclusive Malawi project in Mwakaboko and Wasambo Traditional Authorities (TAs). Evangelical Association of Malawi is also implementing the 4 – year Timazge Nkhanza Project in the TAs Kilipula, Mwakaboko, and Paramount Chief Kyungu. Luntha Television will run the project in Mangochi and Karonga districts covering three thematic areas of the NCA-DCA Joint Country Program.
By Fr. Jailos Mpina
Luntha TV