The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development says the reformed Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is set to transform service delivery in councils following the recruitment of 687 officers across the country.
The CDF programme, is a brainchild of His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika and the Democratic Progressive Party administration, being aggressively championed by Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ben Phiri through a series of reforms aimed at strengthening accountability and improving implementation.
The ministry says the latest recruitment exercise includes accountants, procurement officers and works supervisors deployed at constituency level, while qualified engineers have been deployed at district level.
Officials say this is the first time councils have employed accountants and procurement officers in such huge numbers under the decentralisation programme.
Speaking on the reforms recently to the media, Phiri said government is determined to ensure that the MK5 billion Reformed CDF delivers meaningful development projects at community level.
“We mean business with the CDF. This is about fulfilling the campaign manifesto and ensuring development reaches the people,” said Phiri.
As part of the reforms, the ministry has transferred Directors of Planning, Finance and Public Works in councils across the country in what authorities describe as a move to improve financial management and accountability.
Speaking in Salima recently, Phiri said the transfers were intended to break the culture of familiarity between council officials and contractors, which often affects service delivery.
The ministry has also filled vacant directorship positions in councils and placed some District Commissioners on performance contracts.
In another unusual development, Phiri recently wrote personal letters of appreciation to District Commissioners and Chief Executive Officers across the country, commending them for their commitment to service delivery and preparations for the reformed CDF programme.
The letters followed council visits, weekly reports and monthly virtual meetings conducted by the ministry.
The ministry has since released the 2026 CDF guidelines for the MK5 billion allocation as councils prepare for the next phase of implementation.
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