HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 195898,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/195898/?format=api",
"text_counter": 96,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Chanzu",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 11,
"legal_name": "Yusuf Kifuma Chanzu",
"slug": "yusuf-chanzu"
},
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to support this very important Motion. First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Minister for his appointment as Minister for Planning, National Development and Vision 2030. It is well deserved. I also want to congratulate the Minister for being proactive and acting fast to come up with the CDF Board. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would also like to applaud the Ninth Parliament for coming up with the CDF Act. It has enabled the devolution of funds up to 2.5 per cent of the national cake although I think 2.5 per cent is very low. I know it has had a lot of impact all over the country and in most of the constituencies. But I am sure the results and effects would be better if that percentage was increased up to about 10 per cent. So, I would like to request the Minister to consider raising that percentage. That has been alluded to by the previous speakers. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Motion is long overdue. The schools opened in January for the first term. Now, they are about to open for the second term. There is a component of bursary funds and, as you know, most of our people are poor. They rely on help or assistance like the Bursary Fund. So, this Motion has come at a time when it is really needed. We must disburse money for that purpose. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other aspect I would like to address is the standardization of the rates of the amounts to be disbursed for various activities. By the time the CDF was introduced in this country, the country had generally attained some degree of development but the levels of development were not the same. So, when you standardize and say that for something like water, you fix the percentage across board, I think that is not being fair to some areas. I would, therefore, like to suggest that Members should have leeway to come up with the projects and amounts to be extended. That is because they are the ones who know the situation in their individual constituencies. They should be allowed to make suggestions on the way money should be spent. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, on the appointment of the Board, we have seen that the Minister has taken into account most of the factors that would reasonably be taken into account when 690 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES April 24, 2008 making such appointments. Now, the onus will be on the Minister to ensure that the Board performs to our expectations. I would like to reiterate that, from my little experience, auditing of CDF funds is a very vital aspect. The CDF was introduced in 2003, but the Motion came to Parliament when I was here. But it was effected in 2003. But for the short time I have been in Parliament this time round and this is my second time, I have noticed that we need to strengthen the aspect of auditing the funds. So, the Minister needs to come up with ways of assisting Members of Parliament to achieve that. I think it is better when auditing is done timely, rather than waiting until the end of the five years period. Of course, normally, people will say: \"Let a Member of Parliament misbehave! We are going to remove him!\" But if the five years are wasted, it is not only the Member who loses, but even the constituents!"
}