Councilors in Chipata deny awarding themselves a more than 100 percent monthly allowance increment.

Chipata Mayor Jealous Phiri has refuted media reports stating that councilors at Chipata Municipal Council have increased their monthly allowance from 700 to 1, 700.
Mr Phiri who is also Local Government Association of Zambia, LGAZ president says the councilors never discussed anything in relation to increasing allowances.
According to a media report, during last weeks’ full council meeting, the civic leaders are reported to have increased their allowances citing high cost of living as the reason for the upward adjustment.
But Mr Phiri says the local authority cannot increase the monthly allowances for councilors because the 700 Kwacha amount is determined by the government across the board.
He says that it is sad that such a story was done without verification.