Nkhata Bay chief pleased with K11.5 billion council budget

Nkhata Bay, February 11, Mana: Senior Chief Nyaliwanga in Nkhata Bay has lauded the district council’s 2025/2026 financial year budget describing it as people centred.

Senior Chief Nyaliwanga was speaking on Tuesday after a full council meeting approved K11.5 billion meant for various projects in the upcoming financial year.

He expressed satisfaction with the budget stating that the financial blueprint had prioritised the needs of community members.

“It is a good budget covering the needs of all the six constituencies and 19 chiefs. Looking into it closely, most of the projects are leading to completion of already existing projects to start functioning like construction of staff houses at Kanyazuka clinic and procurement and installation of a transformer at Chituka dispensary giving hope to community members,” the chief said.

“Also, for the first time people of Thoto will be connected with the NKhata Bay town and access various social services after completion of the K235 million Nsanje –Thoto road that we have seen in the budget and we need such type of projects,” he added.

Chairperson for Finance Service Committee, Osman Phiri, while presenting the budget disclosed that out of the K11.5 billion, K2.5 billion is for recurrent transactions (ORT), K2.9 billion for capital development of which K810 million is for Governance to Enable Service Delivery and K442 million is for Regional Climate Resilience Programme.

According to Phiri, donor funds budget totals K6, 041, 169, 800.00 of which 1.9 billion is for Social Cash Transfer and 4.1 billion is for Climate Smart Public Works Program and K442 million for Regional Climate Resilient Programme.

“Some major projects include construction of Tukombo EPA staff houses at K225 million under Traditional Authority Zilakoma, Mpamba market fence at K95 million under Senior Chief Timbiri and water pumps projects at K90 million in various health facilities,” he added.

In a separate interview, National Local Government Finance Committee senior budget analyst Patricia Banda commended Nkhata Bay district council for championing implementation of model projects saying this is the direction all councils must emulate.

“It is pleasing to note that in all projects from various funding categories, Nkhata Bay has embraced all guidelines to implement projects that are big enough and complete.

‘Their budget is good and we except it to be executed as planned,” she said.

Banda therefore urged the council to continue widening its sources of revenue to meet its target of K284 million on local revenue generation which has been adjusted upwards by 36 percent from the 2024/2025 budget.

District commissioner for Nkhata Bay Rodgers Newa said that the council will strive to follow all guidelines during implementation of all projects and called for support from all stakeholders involved for the council to continue giving out improved service delivery to the people of Nkhata Bay.