The point worth noting is that Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has been collecting revenue exceeding its target on behalf of the government year in and year out. What the head of state says is under scrutiny by everyone. President Hichilema is no longer the leader of the opposition political party but the republican President. However, President Hichilema’s sentiments on empty coffers was out of context because the head of State should have consulted widely before issuing a statement on such a sensitive matter which is under the scrutiny of the donor community. Bwalya Ng’andu, the former Minister of Finance who disclosed that the Patriotic Front government left US$2.8 billion in the reserve. President Hichilema’s sentiments on empty coffers was rebuffed by Dr. President Hakainde Hichilema just after being sworn in as the seventh republican President during an interview with an international media disclosed that the UPND government inherited the empty national coffers from the former ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party. This is because people are wondering where the United Party for National Development (UPND) government got the money for CDF amid the empty national coffers. The disbursement of the constituency development fund especially before the presentation of the national budget is good but not good enough. This implies that the lawmakers should not impose development on the electorate. What is certain is that each constituency has its own pressing needs according to the needs of the people. The developmental projects have to be done during the five year tenure of office of the lawmakers in the constituencies. The CDF is meant for spearheading developmental projects in the constituencies by the Members of Parliament (MPs) with the assistance of the civic leaders, the councillors. In simple arithmetic, each constituency received K1.6 million. The disbursed constituency development fund amounted to K249.6 million for the 156 constituencies in the country.
Honourable Gary Nkombo, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development this week disbursed the constituency development fund (CDF) despite the fact that Zambia had empty national coffers.
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