The Civil Society for Poverty Reduction CSPR has welcomed government’s decision to award councillors a 3,000 Kwacha monthly salary entitlement.
Advocacy and Communication Programme Coordinator Maxson Nkhoma says that despite the amount not being sufficient, government needs to be commended for its efforts to motivate the civic leaders.
Mr. Nkhoma says that the move taken by government will go a long way in addressing issues of councillors being implicated in illegal allocation of plots in an effort to make ends meet.
He says that while CSPR is aware that government is tightening its expenditure, it would have been good for the government to award councillors with better conditions of service and a better amount of salary considering the magnitude of the work they do in their wards.
Mr. Nkhoma explains that just like members of parliament, councillors ought to enjoy good conditions of service which can help to curb corruption in the operations of local authorities.
He says that good conditions of service for councillors coupled with other incentives will not only encourage credible and competent Zambians to work as councillors but will bring a paradigm shaft in the manner the local government operates in Zambia.