By Wendy Mkandawire
The Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Digitalization and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development have announced that K85,502,922,291 has been disbursed to local councils under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
According to a joint statement signed by the Secretary for Local Government and Rural Development, Rev. Moses Chimphepo, the funds are for advance payment to contractors who have been awarded contracts to undertake various development works.
The statement indicates that the disbursement covers 30 out of 36 local councils that have completed their procurement processes and identified contractors.
The Ministry says with the release of the funds, contractors are expected to mobilize and commence work on their respective sites.
In addition to the K85.5 billion, the Ministry disclosed that a total of K5,487,075,758 was released in September 2026 for project management costs, while K2,862,500,000 was funded for sports development, creative arts, and innovation.
It further states that in August 2026, a total of K17,175,000,000 was disbursed to local councils for school bursaries, which are part of the CDF resources.
“The August and September 2026 funding is in addition to the K15,000,000,000 for youth and women loans which was released in April 2026 and project management costs amounting to K18,840,469,697 released between May and August 2026,” the statement reads.
The Ministry of Finance says it remains committed to ensuring that resources are disbursed to local councils in a timely manner in accordance with CDF guidelines for smooth implementation of CDF projects and programmes.
