ECOWAS Commission presents 2022 budget

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission on Thursday presented its 2022 budget before the Administration and Finance Commissioner

Finda Koroma, the Vice President of ECOWAS, made the presentation during the 30th Ordinary Session of its Administration and Finance Committee (AFC) in Abuja.

According to her, AFC meeting will be considering the draft budget of all ECOWAS Institutions and food security reserve.

Koroma said that the meeting would discuss the administration and finance matters related to the programming of ECOWAS institutions.

She said it would take stock of ECOWAS activities and results in 2021 in a bid to identify improved ways of delivering sustainable services to the people of the sub-region.

“As expected, we will in the course of this meeting, be presenting to you for deliberation, various reports on ongoing initiatives, our programmes and budgets for 2022’’

”These shall include the Presentation and Consideration of the Status of Tasks Assigned to Community Institutions by the 29th Meeting of the Administration and Finance Committee; Presentation and Consideration of the Report on the Financial Situation of the Community; Presentation and Consideration of the Community Levy Report’’

“Presentation and Consideration of a Memorandum on Allowances for Virtual Meetings; Presentation and Consideration of a Memorandum on allowances for internationally recruited staff of the Maritime Security Centre; Memorandum on the institutional arrangement for the Regional Integrated Development Programme of the Fouta Djallon Highlands RIDP-FDH; Presentation and consideration of a Memorandum on the Regional Food Security Reserve’’

“Presentation and Consideration of the 2022 Draft Consolidated Budget of ECOWAS Institutions and; The Auditor General’s 2021 Interim Report,” she said.

Koroma said the commission was counting on the guidance of this august body on ways of improving the above-mentioned programmes and activities, approving the planned programmes and budgets presented for 2022, and to enable the institutions continue their work of advancing regional integration and improving the lives and environments of our communities

Koroma said that the Commission through its programmes in 2021 recorded huge success, with communities becoming closer and more borderless, and improved its readiness to managing unplanned adversities through investment in early systems.

She said that the sub-region also witnessed significant improvements in the health sector, leveraging on coordination roles to facilitate the availability of health solutions for our people, especially on COVID-19 management.

According to Koroma, the Community has also come very close to adopting a common vision, namely the ECOWAS Vision 2050, that will guide our growth in the next 30 years.

Koroma explained that the development of Vision 2050 has been inclusive and participatory, adding that she could not but express her  sincere appreciation to all AFC members for their support to the process.

Mr Mohammed Ismaila, Director, Regional Integration Bureau of the Ghanaian Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Regional Integration, said that the AFC meeting was critical for the progress of ECOWAS and the benefit of community citizens.

Ismaila said that the meetings were indispensable in ensuring that the financial and administrative questions that were so germane to our regional body were given due consideration.

“The 30th Meeting of the Administration and Finance Committee has been vested with the honourable task of considering pertinent and crucial issues of administrative and financial significance’’

“As we take inventory of the various tasks assigned to Community institutions, review the financial situation of the Community and consider other matters of regional relevance’’

“We must do so by paying due cognizance of the fact that effective financial and administrative management of the ECOWAS Commission, its institutions and Agencies depends to a large extent on our readiness’’

“As well as willingness to address and deal with the issues confronting the Organisation in a dispassionate manner,” Ismaila said.

NAN reports that the stakeholder would also be discussing the financial situation of the Community amongst other issues at the session which would be held in Abuja from Nov. 25 to Dec. 2.