Members of the North West Regional Assembly have adopted a budget balanced in income and expenditure at 5.62 billion Francs CFA for 2025.
The budget witnesses a decrease of 1.17 billion susceptible to amendments in 2025.
In explaining the budgetary allocations as per the budget heads, the President of North West Regional Assembly, Prof Fru Angwafo III said with the law on local taxes, the assembly stands to get additional funding for 2025.
The additional funding will permit the assembly to take care of subdivisions that have not had projects since the coming of the Assembly. Subdivisions like Ngie, Belo, Balikumbat and Babessi are still to enjoy investment projects.
Prof Fru Angwafo III
Prof Fru Angwafo III called on the Mayors, Regional Assembly Members to submit mature projects for funding from the house while emphasizing that the realization of such projects will take into account the security climate of the area.
From the draft budget, there is a substantial increase in the number of secondary schools that will receive projects. From 31 in 2024, to 40 in 2025.
Of the 5.26 billion, Francs, 4.62 billion representing 80.99% will go for investment while 1.06 billion representing 19.01% will go for recurrent expenditure.
This falls out of the 60/40 ratio in the preparation of the budget of the Assembly but Prof Fru Angwafo explains that budgetary allocations devolved to the region are for investment and the quota can only be respected when the region begins to generate its own revenue.
Members of the House of Divisional Representatives
According to the Regional Development plan from 2020 to 2025, the Regional Assembly is supposed to carry out Development and Investment to the tune of 2255 billion Francs CFA.
Projects which the yearly budget of the Assembly cannot cover. So to effectively carry out these projects and bring in substantial development, investment and revamping of the region, the first constituent general assembly of the North West Development and Investment Fund, NOWEDIF, was held.
Chaired by the Honourable Nchechuma Banla and Honourable Benyella Godwin acting as Rapporteur, the General provisions of NOWEDIF were read and clarity given to the members of the assembly.
While the Regional Executive Council seeks to formally legalize the structure, pioneer members of NOWEDIF picked up their subscription to the structure that many say will totally transform the North West.
As explained through a Deliberation, the Regional Assembly will invest 200 million in a one billion bouquet to engage youths through digital entrepreneurship in the North West Region in 2025.
An innovation which North West Governor, Adolphe Lele Lafrique saluted as the way forward in training the youths in digital entrepreneurship.
Members of the Assembly also adopted a deliberation to continue the Peace and Development Initiative (PDI) which was launched in 2022. All 34 subdivisions of the North West will be touched with the youths employed to carryout these projects. To Prof Fru Angwafo, after the activities of 2022, a thorough evaluation has been made to better the implementation in 2025.
North West Governor, Adolphe Lele Lafrique
The innovative and technical savvy of the Governor of the North West Region and the President of the Regional Assembly was saluted by the women, led by Hon Omba Nsahlai Henriette who presented gifts to Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique and Prof Fru Angwafo III to the applause of all and sundry.
The members of the Regional Executive Council will proceed to share gifts to the sick at the Bamenda regional Hospital and to distribute items to IDPs. The year will close with the organization of the end of year festival on the 31st December 2024 at the esplanade of the SDO of Mezam.
By
Ndi Tsembom Elvis
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