Councillors of the Bamenda II council have voted a budget balance in income and expenditure at 2.1 billion Francs.
The budget that witnesses an increase of 300 million Francs CFA was voted by acclamation, Thursday December 21.
Speaking as he addressed the councillors, the Mayor of Bamenda II, Chenwi Peter says the increase is as a result of strategic partnerships signed with other councils abroad, increased decentralised funds from partner ministries and the drive to increase the collection of the global tax.
"We have generated a lot of revenue from the council hall recently constructed. It is found in a calm environment and we think that if the hall is extended, it can host other big events. So in 2024, we will be increasing the capacity of the hall. It has been a principal source of income to the council." Mayor Chenwi Peter said.
Mezam SDO, far left, at the Budgetary Session
The Mayor was greeted with a thunderous round of applause when he indicated that the council has acquired a truck to add to the front-end loader, bought last year.
Officially unveiled by His Majesty Fon FAN Angwafo IV of Mankon, the heavy duty equipment will ease the opening and maintenance of roads in the Municipality.
The council envisages to buy a grader in 2024 as well as a Toyota Hilux to ease the transportation of persons of the technical services.
The deliberative organ of the council
Councillors likewise quarter heads had complained bitterly about the abandoned nature of secondary roads within the Municipality. Caused largely by the current socio-political crisis, many of them took the floor to assure the Mayor and his executive that the situation is improving and the maintenance of roads can commence.
Speaking about the maintenance of the urban perimeter of Bamenda, Mezam SDO, Simon Emile Mooh called on the councillors to educate those setting up new structures on areas that had been earmarked for road construction to stop with immediate effect.
"We had carved out the width of the road across the city of Bamenda. Those whose properties were destroyed will be compensated in the days ahead for work to start. We have been taken aback that some individuals are putting up new structures in the demarcated areas. I wish to use this session to tell them that those structures will be demolished and they will not be compensated." Simon Emile Mooh cautioned.
Bamenda II council newly acquired truck
The SDO of Mezam also encouraged the palace of Mankon to seek the construction of a borehole around the palace. He says previous appeal to Boison du Cameroon has seen the construction of a borehole in the palaces of Nkwen and Bamendakwe.
He also called on councillors to limit the request for the construction of boreholes in every quarter because of the limited budget.
"The council cannot construct a borehole in every quarter. The resources are limited. We call on the councillors to work with the council staff for tax recovery. If we can recover money and stop the overdependence on the state, then these requests can be met with relative ease."
The Bamenda II council also pleaded with the SDO to allocate some public spaces to the council to build market stalls on the principle of build-operate-transfer. This, Mayor Chenwi says will increase revenue collection and generation by the council.
While closing the 2023 budgetary session, Mayor Chenwi Peter called on the councillors and staff to look at the possibility of revamping Mankon United, the football club that once played at the North West Regional League, and allocate resources to its functioning.
By
Ndi Tsembom Elvis
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