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{
    "id": 85741,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/85741/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 352,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Nanok",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Forestry and Wildlife",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 57,
        "legal_name": "Josephat Koli Nanok",
        "slug": "josephat-nanok"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I hope I will also not take a very long time discussing a matter that is straightforward like this one. I stand to support this Motion. You will realize that in the 210 constituencies we have in this country, this is the only fund, even though it is a very small fund - it is only 2.5 percent of ordinary Government revenue - that has reached every corner of this country. If a comparison with the other money that goes through Government Ministries was to be done, you would realize that the CDF has done much more than what the rest of the Government has done. In areas where we have critical emergencies, particularly in my area where cattle rustling is almost a daily occurrence, it is always the CDF emergency component that is always the first one to be relied on. You can imagine that even when the police have problems of fuel or transport, they call upon the CDF to support them. They do so basically because they realize that the CDF is functioning, and can easily be called upon to act quickly. All other Ministries rely on the CDF. I think this is the time when we have to take stock of how we have been implementing Government projects as opposed to CDF projects, and see whether this is the best way to go with 100 per cent of Government funds. The other most important thing is that this is the only devolved fund that is accountable to the ordinary people. You will realize that the committees of CDF in the constituencies are formed by the people themselves. The project management committees are composed of people from the locality where the project is implemented. The Member of Parliament, who is the patron, is accountable to the people. So, basically this is a fund that people have control over. If they realize that there is misuse, then they will punish the Member of Parliament and the committee members. I believe that for all the other revenue that the Government gets, there is no accountability to the ordinary people. Projects will be voted money, they will not be done and that year will pass. This is the only expenditure where a Member of Parliament will be held to account for the projects that he or she has promised to fulfill. Just to conclude, the law is the law. Recently, we just passed a new Constitution and we said the law is the law. Every State officer has to abide with the law. If the law says let 2.5 per cent of ordinary revenue be remitted to the CDF Board, then the Minister is obligated to follow the law. If he breaks that law, then too bad for him. It is high time that this House takes this matter seriously, so that it makes us who are in the Government follow the law we have sworn to defend. Lastly, regarding the CDF funds, you may realize that 75 per cent is allocated equally amongst all constituencies and 25 percent of the CDF funds is allocated based on the poverty levels and the population. If the law says that we use projected estimates, let it be projected estimates for all constituencies in the country. If the law says we use accurate population figures, let it be accurate population figures. I will ask both the Treasury and the Ministry of Planning to realize that there is no way you can deny eight constituencies in this country the opportunity to be allocated resources based on the accurate census figures. With those few remarks, I support."
}