By Mada Ziba
Mangochi, July 11, Mana: Mangochi has emerged one of the best performing districts in Eastern Region by repaying 87.7 per cent of the K1.5 billion National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) loan the district received.
NEEF Chief Executive Officer, Humphrey Mdyetseni, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ meeting in Mangochi District recently.
“Except for two constituencies (out of a total of 12 constituencies), Mangochi is doing a great job in repaying NEEF loans.
“Malombe and Makanjira are exceptional in that though both areas do not have banks, people travel all the way to Mangochi Boma to pay back the loans,” said Mdyetseni.
So far, NEEF has disbursed loans amounting to K1.5 billion to people in Mangochi with K300 million allocated to each of the constituencies.
Mdyetseni added that the disbursement of NEEF loans to all constituencies across the country is performance-based.
“There has to be evidence that people who access NEEF loans use the money to develop their respective constituencies, otherwise next time NEEF will not consider them for such loans,” he said while appealing to politicians to desist from interfering with the administration of the NEEF loans.
The NEEF Chief Executive Officer said Village Development Committees (VDCs) and Area Development Committee (ADCs) work hand in hand with NEEF on loan issues as opposed to politicians’ interference.
Parliamentarian for Mangochi East, Francesca Masamba, applauded NEEF for organizing the stakeholders’ meeting, saying the meeting provided much needed insight on Mangochi’s NEEF repayment performance.
“I will impart the knowledge that I have gained to my constituents so that people should make informed choices whenever they would like to access NEEF loans,” said Masamba.
Mangochi East Constituents are among those that are not performing well in repaying NEEF loans, but the Member of Parliament said NEEF has assured her that it would consider the area for another round of loan on condition that people in the area repay the previous loan.
In an interview, Sub Traditional Authority Mapira said a lot of people in his area accessed the NEEF loans and that they were currently paying back without defaults
“It is very challenging for communities to repay the loans due to economic challenges, but we keep encouraging them to repay the loans so that others should also benefit, “said Sub Chief Mapira.
He further said he would share notes from NEEF’s meeting with other leaders in his area so that they should advise their subjects on how best they should use NEEF loans and ensure sustainable development in the area,
