Funding to the Department of Cultural Affairs in Eastern Province has drastically reduced this year.

Funding to the Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs in Eastern Province has drastically reduced in the 2015 budgetary allocation.
Provincial Cultural Affairs Officer, Gideon Kapamulomo says that the budgetary allocation has reduced from about 560,000 Kwacha in 2014 to 177,000 Kwacha in 2015.
Speaking on a live radio programme dubbed Budget Tracking this morning, Mr. Kapamulomo stated that no reasons has been given by central government for such a reduction.
Mr. Kapamulomo also disclosed that government did not allocate any money towards infrastructure development and events in the 2015 allocation.
He however, says that release of funding in the 2015 budgetary allocation stands at 82 per cent as 145,000 Kwacha has been released from 177,000 Kwacha.
And Mr. Kapamulomo says that construction works for a multi-purpose theatre hall in Chipata have stalled due to lack of funding although government has indicated that it will be fully funded next year.
He however, says that the department has finished construction of eight chalets and other accompanying facilities at Chipata Cultural Village at a cost of 170,500 Kwacha.
Meanwhile the Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs has revealed serious irregularities in how the Bar and Restaurant at Chipata Cultural Village are being managed.
Provincial Cultural Affairs Officer, Gideon Kapamulomo says that he does not know where a firm which is renting the facilities are paying rentals.
Speaking on Budget Tracking Programme this morning, Mr. Kapamulomo revealed that he was instructed not to collect rentals from Okedi Supplies and General Dealers Limited by a government official whom he did not name.
He explained that Okedi Supplies and General Dealers are supposed to pay monthly rentals of 1,500 Kwacha for the bar and 1,000 Kwacha for the Restaurant.
Mr. Kapamulomo says that his department only collected payment once last year when the tenant moved in.
He says that the matter has been reported to the Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs headquarters in Lusaka to intervene.