12/11/2024
MINISTRY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DISBURSES K256 MILLION GRANT TO 95 COUNCILS
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has disbursed a K256 million capital grant to 95 councils across Zambia as part of the Zambia Devolution Support Programme (ZDSP).
Byta FM News reports that ZDSP, a government-led initiative supported by the World Bank, aims to bolster the National Decentralization Policy from 2023 to 2028.
Ministry Permanent Secretary-Administration, Maambo Haamaundu, stated that each benefiting local authority will receive K2,694,736.84 from the disbursed funds.
Haamaundu highlighted that this amount is part of the total US$210 million provided by the World Bank for ZDSP implementation.
The capital grant will finance investment activities and development projects, including local infrastructure.
Additionally, the grants can be used to purchase equipment necessary for local service delivery.
Haamaundu urged local authorities to adhere to the grant utilization conditions, including environmental and social guidelines, to avoid any issues.
Initially, ZDSP was designed to benefit only 96 of the 116 local authorities in the country.