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Clarke to consider calls for CDF increase

Published:Monday | October 10, 2022 | 12:44 PM
Clarke: " The members of parliament have made good arguments that the size of the CDF has not kept abreast with inflation and those are points that the Ministry of Finance will have to consider seriously," - File photo.

Minister of Finance, Dr Nigel Clarke, says that his Ministry is to consider “seriously” calls from Members of Parliament for an increase in the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). 

“We've heard consistent calls from a number of our members of parliament on both sides of the aisle and the members of parliament have made good arguments that the size of the CDF has not kept abreast with inflation and those are points that the Ministry of Finance will have to consider seriously,” he told The Gleaner. 

During the recent State of the Constituency Debate in the House of Representatives, parliamentarians stressed that the current sum being allocated from the CDF is not enough to address the needs of their constituencies.

Currently, each MP is allocated $20 million annually for the development of their constituencies. 

In his contribution to the debate, MP for Manchester Southern Robert Chin called for a 100 per cent increase in the CDF. 

“I totally agree with the many members before me that the constituency development fund allocation is a joke,” he said. 

“I strongly recommend that constituency be allocated a minimum of $40 million per division for infrastructure development, and that will total about $9.12 billion. And of course, the genius that our finance minister is, it's just a matter of shuffling items on the budget,” he added.

His compatriot, MP for East Portland, Ann-Marie Vaz, in her contribution, said the current allocation has not kept up with inflation. 

“Based on inflation rates, in order for the CDF to have the same value now as in 2008, it would have to be increased to $54 million,” she shared. 

Vaz also agreed with other MPs that the CDF amount should not be the same across the board but rather be allocated based on the needs of each constituency. 

- Sashana Small 

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