An Assessment of the Challenges Affecting Local Authorities

This study was conducted to assess the challenges of self-financing in local authorities in Zambia with particular focus on Kitwe and Lusaka cities. Local authorities are mandated by the central government to provide services within their areas of jurisdiction and they need sufficient financial resources to effectively and efficiently carry out their duties. However the general consensus is that local authorities are not adequately funded by the central government. Instead it is imperative that the local authorities find new and innovative sources of revenue to make up for the shortfall in government grants. The National Development Policy of 2004 made it clear that local authorities were expected to develop in terms of self-financing but ten years later and local authorities are still not financially self sustainable.