Ben Phiri unveils Malawi’s real-time CDF dashboard as minister flags ‘erosion of trust’ risk in councils
The Malawian government has launched a new digital dashboard intended to improve transparency and accountability in the management of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) resources, even as the finance minister warned local authorities against a decline in financial oversight standards.
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ben Malunga Phiri launched the platform on Friday at the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe, describing it as a tool that will allow both government and the public to monitor the implementation of constituency development projects in real time.
The launch was attended by Chief Secretary to the Government Dr Justin Saidi, Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare Mary Navicha, Minister of Lands and Urban Development Chimwemwe Chipungu, Minister of Health and Sanitation Madalitso Baloyi, former Vice-President Khumbo Kachali and other senior officials.
Dr Rachel Sibande, founder of mHub and senior programme officer for artificial intelligence in Africa at the Gates Foundation, demonstrated the platform during the event, showing attendees how users would be able to track project implementation, monitor progress and access information on how CDF resources are being spent across the country.
Government officials said the dashboard is designed to strengthen oversight of publicly funded projects and improve service delivery through local authorities, allowing citizens greater visibility into development work taking place in their communities.
The launch coincided with the official announcement of the 2025/26 Local Authority Performance Assessment (Lapa) results, during which Finance Minister Joseph Mathyola Mwanamvekha cautioned councils against losing public trust in the management of development funds.
Speaking in Lilongwe, Mwanamvekha acknowledged that councils had made progress in financial management and service delivery through improved reporting and accountability systems, a development he said had strengthened confidence in local authorities.
He noted that this was expected to translate into increased resources through GESD 2.0 and the Reformed CDF to support community projects.
However, the finance minister flagged a decline in the number of councils receiving clean audit opinions, which fell from 22 in the 2023/24 financial year to 18 in 2024/25.
He called on the National Local Government Finance Committee to strengthen financial management systems, warning that continued weaknesses in oversight could erode the gains councils had made.
Nkhotakota District Council, he said, had received an adverse audit opinion during the assessment period.
Addressing the same event, Phiri urged District Commissioners and council leadership to maintain high performance standards, saying government expected continued improvement across local authorities.
He noted that 27 of the 28 district councils had qualified for performance-based grants, with Dowa District Council emerging as the best-performing local authority in the latest assessment.
