UPND Salutes Hike In Councillors Allowances

THE decision by Government to increase the allowances of councillors from K700 to K3000 is long overdue because they are the representatives of the people at grassroots level, UPND Copperbelt Province information and publicity secretary Kennedy Kalunga has said.

But Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) spokesperson Antonio Mwanza said the upward adjustment of councillor’s allowances from K700 to K 3000 was a mockery which showed that the PF government does not appreciate the role of civic leaders in national development.

Mr Kalunga said the increment in councillors’ allowances from K700 to K3000 was long overdue. He said Government should consider changing the allowances into salaries so that councillors could also start receiving gratuity at the end of their term.

But Mr Mwanza said those who did not understand and appreciate the role and function of local government to national development would quickly applaud the Patriotic Front government for pegging the allowances of Councillors at K3000 from the current K700.

He said the constitutional functions of Local Authorities were too much for councillors to be given K3000 as monthly salary.

Mr Mwanza also said the work of councillors could not be compared to that of MPs whose primary responsibility was to legislate, oversight and provide checks and balances.

He said MPs get that k3000 for shouting or dosing in two Parliamentary sessions.

Meanwhile, Anti-Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) Copperbelt coordinator Poster Jumbe said the UPND has failed to provide effective checks and balances to the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) because they were always supporting things which benefited them as opposed to those which benefited the nation.