By Andrew Mkonda

Lilongwe, February 8, Mana: Lilongwe District Council on Wednesday approved a K124.2 billion budget for 2024-2025 financial year with a 102% increase from the current year budget of K61.5 billion.

Presenting the budget during a full council meeting, the council’s finance committee chairperson, Councilor Limbani Phiri, said the 102% increase in the budget is because of the increased Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in the national budget from K100 million to K150 million.

The funds, according to the chairperson, will come from locally generated revenue, Other Recurrent Transactions (ORT) and CDF, among other sources.

“As a council, we want as much as possible to find ways of improving collection of our local revenue. As such, we want to expand some of the markets that we have,” he said.

In the approved budget, apart from CDF and Government for Enabled Service Deliver (GESD), which have the biggest allocations, the health and education sectors have got the lion's share in the budget at K4.3 billion and K1.9 billion respectively.

Reacting to the budget, Member of Parliament for Lilongwe Mpenu Nkhoma, Collins Kajawa, commended the council secretariat for the guidance towards the formation of a budget which he described as visionary.

Kajawa then asked for unity among council members for smooth implementation of the planned projects in the budget for the benefit of rural masses.

However, Bunda Ward Councillor Luciano Botoman expressed dissatisfaction with the 10 % salary increase for ward councilors in the budget, saying with the high cost of living, the increment is too little.

“We already get little salaries and with high cost of living caused by devaluation, at least we need a 25% salary increment as we agreed in the past,” he said, attracting a big shout and hand clapping from his fellow councilors.

In his response, Lilongwe District Commissioner Dr. Lawford Palani said the issue will be looked into and that all required procedures will be followed on whether to adjust upwards or not.

Palani then assured members of the council that if the budget can be implemented as planned, it will spur development and improve livelihoods of the communities.