Government Allocates K150 Million CDF Bursary Per Constituency for Boarding Secondary School Students
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ben Phiri has announced that the government has allocated K150 million per constituency under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to provide bursaries for needy students attending boarding secondary schools.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday in Lilongwe, Phiri said the bursary scheme is aimed at ensuring that learners from underprivileged families are not denied access to education due to boarding fees.
He explained that although the government has introduced free secondary education, President Arthur Peter Mutharika directed that part of the CDF should be set aside specifically to support deserving students enrolled in boarding secondary schools.
Phiri said his ministry is finalizing the necessary documentation to ensure the bursary funds are transferred to local councils before September, allowing beneficiaries to access the support in time for the new school term.
“We are working to ensure that these resources are disbursed to councils before September so that no child is forced to stay at home because they cannot afford boarding fees,” he said.
On decentralization, Phiri told lawmakers that development resources are now managed by local councils, with the central government focusing on policy formulation and oversight.
He emphasized that development is no longer supply-driven but demand-driven, meaning councils will implement projects based on the priorities identified by local communities.
“So, if communities want modern markets, they should present their priorities through the councils. Such investments will not only benefit local people but will also enable councils to generate more local revenue from well-structured and modern markets,” Phiri said.
The minister’s remarks came in response to questions from several Members of Parliament who sought an update on the construction of modern markets in their respective constituencies.
