During the three day session, councillors also adopted standing orders for the regional council and the House of Chiefs.
The 2021 South West Regional Assembly budget as presented to councillors, balanced in revenue and expenditure to the tune of FCFA 2.750.000.000. Though being a forecast, the above sum is expected to be realised from local revenue collections, grants from the State through the common Decentralization Fund, as well as from the Council additional taxes, coordinated by the FEICOM. As for expenditures, the budget will finance recurrent and investment programs. On the recurrent aspects, staff costs, provision of office equipment, training of regional councillors and executive, as well as other day-to-day cost of running the offices. For investment, 60 percent of the budget will handle socio- cultural, health, education and economic development projects such as construction of Secondary and High schools, construction of roads, Hospitals among others.
The holding of the second ordinary session devoted to the examination and adoption of a working budget for the assembly is evidence of a functional institution. The house of Divisional representatives and the House of Chiefs met in a joint session by law, under the Chairmanship of the Regional Assembly President, Zacheus Bakuma Elango. The Governor of the region Bernard Okalia Bilai as of right represented the State during the session. The session focused on the adoption of a functional budget as well as the putting in place of a standing order for both houses. The President of the Regional Assembly, called on the collaboration of all forces to ensure that this special gift of the Head of State is effectively utilized. He said the executive will carry out regular contact tour across the region to sensitize the population on the importance of the structure. “Our main responsibility is to restore peace in our region. The non-functioning of schools in most parts of our region is creating semi-literacy among our youths. It is something we all must stand as one to fight. Since our installation, we have been carrying out in-camera activities, such as the creation of partnership with SOWEDA, and an upcoming Seeding company. We have held seminars to train the executive ahead of the drafting of this budget,” the President outlined. It was disclosed that the state had already pumped in FCFA 250.000.000 for the creation of office space to house the council, purchase office equipment and a service vehicle for the regional president. Members of Parliament of both the Senate and the National Assembly of the region were part of the session.
Jude EFUTERCHA
