Road Fund Administration (RFA) has taken over the Rural Infrastructure Development Programme (Ridp) and incorporated it into Community Roads Maintenance Programme (CRMP).
RFA administration and public relations officer Masauko Mngwaluko told Malawi News Agency (Mana) that his organisation has taken over Ridp activities in 11 districts as one way of demonstrating government’s commitment in taking over donor projects whose piloting period has phased out.
Ridp was previously run by the European Union (EU) under the name Income Generating Public Works Programme (IGPWP) before changing to Ridp.
Poverty reduction was one of the interventions under the Malawi-European Commission Country Strategy Paper and National Indicative Programme 2001/17 which resulted into its funding.
IGPWP phased out in June 2011 and was run under the name Ridp until September last year.
Mphele Club in Traditional Authority (T/A) Simulemba’s area in Kasungu is among those affected by lack of funding after Ridp phased out and has been adopted by RFA.
Club chairperson Tionerepo Mtonga said RFA has come at a right time as a year has elapsed without being paid despite working on the Mphangala- Simulemba six-kilometre road they were allocated to.
Currently, RFA is paying K10 850 a month to each member for the work done and they have pledged to settle the arrears from the previous programme.
Expenditure towards CRMP has been growing every year, RFA disbursed K328.4 million to 257 clubs with total membership of 2 324 this financial year. n
