K10 million rescued from LDF ghost beneficiaries
The Mangochi District Council says it saved K10 million from the previous Masaf 4 circle following strict measures the Council instituted to flush out ineligible beneficiaries.
Mangochi District Commissioner (DC) Reverend Moses Chimphepo, disclosed this on Friday at a full council meeting where he presented a list of projects for the September circle for the Council to approve.
Chimphepo applauded the council members for the achievement saying Local Development Fund (LDF) office was also impressed with the Council’s prudence in the previous circle and that he expected another successful circle when it rolls out on September 1.
“I would like to announce here that we saved K10 million that could have gone to ghost beneficiaries if we had not put up strict measures during the last circle. But, then, even saving is not necessary because what it means is that people who deserved to benefit from that K10 million suffered. We should strive to include every legible beneficiary,” said the DC.
He added that the saved amount was still in the DC’s account and that he was yet to seek advice from the LDF office on how best it could be rechanneled back to the programme so that it finally reaches the intended beneficiaries.
Among other strategies, the Council used on-ground verification of beneficiaries registered using IDs, inspection of the work carried out, and on-ground verification of beneficiaries during payment of cash, again using IDs, according to Chimphepo.
He further said each catchment area had a team leader and that reconciliation reports were done right at the field immediately after payment of cash was done to the beneficiaries.
“With that system, it was easy to flush out ghost beneficiaries because only those on the list and verified through the said processes were deserving beneficiaries and they got their dues,” said the DC.
LDF Project Officer for Mangochi, Phillip Chidawati, concurred with Chimphepo saying Mangochi’s strategies in the previous circle of Masaf 4 were efficient and that the system was likely to be adopted as a model to be used in other districts for similar results.
Chidawati hailed all the councilors for the commendable job and, like the DC, he appealed to them to demonstrate similar solidarity in the next circle of Masaf 4 rolling out in September.
Mangochi District Council has 24 wards in total and the list of projects for September pending the Council’s approval includes 157 activities in the areas of roads, environment, forestry, land resources, irrigation, water, and fisheries, with a total of 20,261 earmarked beneficiaries.
The list includes a total proposed allocation of K291, 758, 400 for wages, K18, 234,900 for administration and K54, 704,700 for tools.
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