Fostina Mkandawire

Salima, December 11, Mana: As the 2024/2025 financial year is drawing closer to an end; Salima District Council has commenced developing the 2025-2026 annual budget, which has been described as a people-centred budget.

Speaking during the official opening of the 2024/2025 annual budgeting development plan in Mangochi, the Council Chairperson for the district, Councilor Ephraim Manthepa called on sector heads to prioritize activities that directly target communities.

"Developing an annual work plan should not involve duplicating the previous year's budget, there is a need to go back to the drawing board, looking at what worked and what did not work, so that moving forward improvements are made," he said.

He cautioned heads of sectors not to focus on expenditures such as administrative costs in the form of allowances and unnecessary travelling.

He added: "We want this budget to dwell more on issues that affect communities such as road networks, quality health care provision, provision of clean water and all issues that will improve people's livelihoods."

Manthepa warned that poor planning of the budget will lead to failure and therefore urged officials to analyze and conduct a needs assessment to come up with a proper budget.

District Commissioner for Salima, James Mwenda, concurred with Manthepa saying the duty bearers are in their positions to serve communities.

"We will ensure that we develop a budget that will focus on people's needs, our goal is to selflessly serve the people of Salima by putting them first above anything, we will be held accountable for failing to deliver what we planned because failing to plan is planning to fail," he said.

On this point, Mwenda affirmed the council's commitment to develop the district hence the annual budgeting plan sessions will solely focus on developing sector budgets that are people-centred.

Earlier this year, National Local Government Finance Committee hailed the council for its plans and tipped the council to aim at investing more in projects that will help in local revenue collection.

Salima District Council approved a MK24.7 billion budget for 2024/2025 financial year.

The 2025/2026 budget will be projected after the consolidation of sector budgets.