Africa-Press – Zambia. Alliance for Zambian informal Economy Association (AZIEA) has advised government to relax terms and conditions attached to the awarding of Constituency Development Funds (CDF) projects to enable more participation.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Kitwe today, AZIEA General Secretary Lameck Kashiwa says currently there is too much bureaucracy and requirements attached for individuals and groups to participate in the CDF projects.
”In my view, the existing bureaucracy and requirements such as demand for project or business proposals are likely to make it impossible for ordinary citizens to benefiting from the funds, so government must relax some of these conditions for many people to benefit as initially planned by government, ” Mr. Kashiwa said.
Recently, government, through the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development released K805 million as Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for the first quarter of 2022 and K99, 268,342.47 to cover for bursaries for secondary schools and skills training for the same period.
Local Government and Rural Development Minister Gary Nkombo said the funds would be shared among all the 156 constituencies countrywide.. And the Alliance has proposed that government introduces some form of empowerment initiative for informal businesses to cushion them from the harsh economic environment which is raising the cost of doing business.
He noted that the high cost of fuel and the unstable Kwacha and other factors of doing business are unfavourable to informal businesses because their little capital. He said these economic factors have hit the informal economy workers badly hence the need to cushion them from effects.
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