By Rahim Abdul
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Sameer Suleiman, has directed the Legal Affairs Committee to conduct a fresh and thorough review of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Governance Bill before it is tabled in Parliament.
The directive comes amid growing pressure from Members of Parliament who wanted the Bill to be discussed and possibly passed during Wednesday’s sitting.
Suleiman’s intervention followed strong arguments from government ministers who insisted that the Bill, in its current form, needed further scrutiny.
Minister of Local Government Ben Phiri and Minister of Information Shadreck Namalomba stressed that any new legislation must be aligned with existing laws to avoid contradictions that could create confusion in the administration of development funds.
The Speaker agreed with the ministers, telling the Legal Affairs Committee to refine the Bill and produce a clear and comprehensive report.
He instructed the committee to present its findings in the House by next week Wednesday, giving Parliament an opportunity to debate it with more clarity and legal certainty.
The renewed push for proper review comes at a time when the CDF remains one of the most debated public financing tools in Malawi.
Many MPs argue that the fund is essential for grassroots development, especially in rural constituencies where government projects often delay.
Others, however, raise concerns about accountability and misuse of the money.
A few months ago, the High Court ruled that MPs should not directly manage the CDF, stating that doing so blurred the separation of powers and exposed the fund to potential abuse.
The ruling forced government to re-evaluate the legal framework governing the fund, leading to the drafting of the current Bill now under review.
At present, the CDF carries an allocation of K200 million per constituency, a figure that has remained a point of contention among legislators who say the amount is too small to address the growing needs of their areas. Communities often rely on the fund for school blocks, bridges, boreholes, and other essential projects.
Government has since proposed to increase the fund significantly, with indications that the allocation may jump to K5 billion per constituency per year starting next financial year.
The proposal has generated excitement but also raised questions about oversight, transparency, and the capacity of councils to manage such large sums.
As the Legal Affairs Committee embarks on its review, stakeholders are hopeful that the final Bill will strike a balance between empowering constituencies and ensuring robust accountability mechanisms.
Parliament is expected to resume debate once the committee presents its revised report next week.
