Lilongwe District Council says its K124.2 billion budget for the 2024/25 financial year is meant to facilitate development projects in the district.

Speaking on Wednesday during a full council meeting, the council’s finance committee chairperson Limbani Phiri said the budget jumped from K61.5 billion in the 2023/24 financial year, representing an increase of 102 percent.

He said the funds will come from locally generated revenue, Other Recurrent Transactions and Constituency Development Fund, among others.

Phiri (R) outlines the budget

“We want as much as possible to find ways of improving local revenue. As such, we want to expand some of the markets to improve revenue generation,” said Phiri.

Reacting to the budget, Lilongwe Mpenu Nkhoma legislator Collins Kajawa (Malawi Congress Party) commended the council secretariat for guiding members to come up with what he called a visionary budget.

He asked for unity among council members for smooth implementation of planned projects for the benefit of rural people in the district.

However, Bunda Ward councillor Liciano Botoman asked the council to consider an increasing their salaries as the cost of living has risen.

“We already get low salaries and with high cost of living caused by the devaluation of the kwacha, we need at least a 25 percent salary increment,” he said, attracting applause from fellow councillors.

But in his response, Lilongwe district commissioner Lawford Palani said the issue of salaries will be looked into.

He then assured the council’s members that if the budget is implemented as planned, it will spur development and improve people’s livelihoods.

In the approved budget, the health and education sectors have the lion’s share at K4.3 billion and K1.9 billion, respectively.

PHOTOGRAPH: ANDREW MKONDA, MANA

The post Lilongwe District Council nods to K124.2bn budget first appeared on The Nation Online.

The post Lilongwe District Council nods to K124.2bn budget appeared first on The Nation Online.