CDF rollout faces staff shortage warning

The rollout of the Reformed Constituency Development Fund (CDF) could face implementation challenges if Government does not urgently address shortages of key technical staff at councils.

Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Local Authorities and Rural Development, Edward Chileka-Banda, warned Parliament that delays in recruiting and deploying Public Works Officers, Procurement Officers and Accountants could affect the effective implementation of constituency projects.

Presenting the Committee’s report on the preparedness of stakeholders for the 2026/27 CDF implementation in Parliament, Chileka-Banda said although Government and councils had made progress in preparing for the reforms, human resource gaps remained a major concern.

He said councils require adequate technical personnel to support project planning, procurement, financial management and supervision of development works funded through CDF.

“Persistent shortages of key technical personnel remain one of the greatest risks to the successful implementation of the Reformed CDF and require urgent attention,” Chileka-Banda told the House.

The Committee assessed preparedness at Lilongwe City Council and Dedza, Balaka, M’Mbelwa and Kasungu district councils, where it found that most local authorities had aligned their systems with the revised CDF framework but were still awaiting deployment of some officers.

Chileka-Banda said the effectiveness of the new constituency offices would also depend on the availability of office space, equipment, transport and other operational resources.

The Committee has since called on the Local Government Service Commission (LASCOM) to expedite recruitment and deployment of the required officers to ensure communities benefit from the reforms.