Districts to get K8 million each for services programmes

THE Department of Implementation and Rural Development (DIRD) will release K8 million for each of the 89 districts as district services improvement programme funding for next year.
Acting department secretary Aihi Vaki acknowledged the Government for the allocation which remained at K890 million for districts and K220 million for provinces, according to yesterday’s budget.
“There are no reductions this year as it was reduced through the 2019 supplementary budget from K10m to K8m and next year will be the same,” Vaki said
“So far I may be able to release up to K8mil.
“The function of disbursing the funds is now with DIRD as approved by the National Executive Council and I am now disbursing those funds.
“Come 2020, the same amount of money is going to come.”
Vaki said they had released K6 million and were waiting for K2 million yet to be released.
“We have received constitutional grants but the discretionary components and non-discretional is yet to come.
“These are massive funds going out to districts and we need to manage it well.
“I really want to see the change in all the districts in 20 years’ time.
“In order to be the richest black nation, we need to improve our standard of living.
“Development must take place from the rural areas first before we talk about macro development.”