Montague wants increase in CDF allocation, naming of MPs who don't exhaust funds

Member of Parliament for St Mary Western, Robert Montague, is appealing for an increase in the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) while urging the public naming of MPs who do not fully utilise their annual allocation. 

He says the unspent funds should be given to other MPS, instead of being returned the fund that was set up to fund projects in constituencies under the direction of elected representatives. 

All 63 members of parliament are each allocated $20 million, annually, to promote human and infrastructure development in their constituencies. 

But Montague says the CDF money should be pegged at a percentage of the national budget. When the CDF started in 2008, the amount per constituency was $40 million, but budgetary constraints forced reductions. 

“Minister, you are a man that likes to follow policy. In this case please do so. The originating policy document called for a set percentage of the budget to be spent on the concerns and issues of the people. This was one percent after capital and debt expenditure,” said Montague said in his presentation to the State of the Constituency Debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday afternoon. He was referring to the finance minister. 

Montague said of the $912 billion budgeted for this financial year, $540 billion will remain after capital and debt repayment. 

When one per cent of the remainder is divided by 63, the result is $85.7 million per constituency. 

“We are only asking for $60 million because we understand the realities of the day,” Montague appealed.  

Meanwhile, the MP said his colleagues in the House who do not use their funds should have the money taken away and given to other constituencies. 

“It is a travesty of justice that the one little money allocated to improve the lives of the people is not being properly used,” he said. 

According to him, hundreds of students are pursuing tertiary education because of the CDF. 

“Sporting competitions are held because of the CDF; the sick are assisted; the poor are assisted; there is help with burying the dead; small roads are repaired; housing material bought and small economic assistance is given,” said the government MP who lauded the CDF mechanism as a policy success.

The CDF has been criticised as giving politicians too much say in how public money is used. 

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