Members of the North West Regional Assembly have voted a budget of 5.634 billion as the budget for 2024.
The exercise that took place in the evening hours of Tuesday 12th December 2023, saw some major disagreements in the budget.
The investment budget stands at 4.62 billion representing 82.08 percent of the budget and the operating expenses stand at a little over one billion, representing 17.92%.
This falls short of the budgetary requirement of 40 percent in expenses and 60 percent of the budget in investment.
The President of the North West Regional Assembly, Prof Fru Angwafo III explained that the Decentralized budget of the various ministries are largely for investment. This explains the sharp decrease in the operating expenditure.
Chairperson of the Finance Committee reading their observations on the budget
Another call for concerned revolves around the allocation of projects in Donga Mantung Division worth 1.2 Billion francs.
Here, the Regional Assembly Members, asked that the budget be reviewed and projects spatially distributed to other Divisions that are benefitting from fewer projects.
Here the President of the Regional Assembly, the Regional Delegate of the Economy planning and Regional Development and the Regional Delegate of Public Contracts explained that from the Budgetary Orientation Debate that was held in June, projects were distributed to all the Divisions almost equitably. Unfortunately with the limited funding from some ministries, it will be imperative that projects are grouped and executed in one Division as this will reduce the cost on supervision and control missions at project sites. With the limited resources at their disposal, projects were grouped and the Regional Delegates advocated that future projects be rotated across the region. This will lead to the realization of durable projects, they said.
The most conspicuous project in Donga Mantung is the construction of the emergency centre at the Regional Hospital Annex which will cost a little over 400 million francs CFA.
Ngong Denis Ngong, Chairman of the Legal Affairs and Standing orders committee
Road construction, the construction of classrooms, the construction of the NW Regional Assembly, the construction of the Regional Assembly Guest House, the construction of mortuaries and laboratories are some of the projects earmarked for 2024.
The North West Regional Assembly also plans to organize a training for traditional rulers, and continue the rehabilitation of palaces destroyed by the current socio-political crisis in the English-speaking part of Cameroon.
The construction of the Regional custom clearance centre will also kick-off in 2024.
The regional assembly members also remarked that rural artisanal centres known as SAR/SM that were rehabilitated in 2022 and 2023 should be equipped so they can fully go functional.
That a commission should be created to follow-up to ensure that each child that is born receives a birth certificate before the mother is discharged from hospital and environmental assessment reports be presented before projects are awarded.
The voting of the budget comes after a careful study of projects that were executed in 2022 and 2023, those that did not reach completion because of the prevailing security situation were underscored.
Despite voting the budget, the challenges were underscored and the Regional Executive council mandated to make amends with the relevant state authorities.
By
Ndi Tsembom Elvis
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