HARARE - Finance minister Tendai Biti Biti said the cash was gathering dust at the ministry of Constitutional Affairs, and if not used by the end of the year it will be forfeited to the state through the Exchequer.
Biti told the House of Assembly last Thursday that in the 2010 budget he had budgeted US$8million to the CDF. Because of scarcity of resources, US$19,000 was paid first to MPs. The other US$19,000 was paid later.
“What is outstanding now is US$12,000 to get to US$50,000,” Biti told the House of Assembly. “I want to tell the Hon Speaker in front of the Bible that we will pay the outstanding US$12,000 before the end of the year. I also want to say that, according to the minister of Constitutional Affairs, there are 39 MPs that have not opened accounts. If there is money that is sitting in a vote at the end of any financial year, it is not carried over. There is no balance that is carried over, it reverts back to the Exchequer and we are not even allowed to use it again. So if there is a constituency which has not opened an account, please do it now,” Biti said, protecting the identity of the legislators.
Next year the fund will increase to US$60,000 “in the hope that this fund can become like the Malawi Fund”. In Malawi the CDF has become an effective tool for rural development. Biti rejected proposals by Zanu (PF) legislator Kudakwashe Bhasikiti to ramp up the fund to US$200,000, saying there was no justification to do so when legislators were not snapping up the resources already available.
“Hon Bhasikiti you were saying this money must go to US$200,000. I think people can only consider that if you are able to show that you use even the little US$60,000.
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