The 2016/2017 annual budget of the cash-strapped EAC will be tabled here on Thursday before the regional Assembly which starts its budget session here today.
Mr Mfumukeko warned when the baton was handed over to him by Dr Richard Sezibera, a Rwanda national, of impending stringent measures to salvage the regional organization from the current financial crisis.
He stated that EAC, now made of six member states after the recent admission of South Sudan, has never experienced such financial instability and that he as a chief executive of the regional body would propose stern measures geared at cost-cutting and accountability on the part of its officials.
During the current 2015/2016 financial year which is coming to an end, the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) approved a budget of $ 110,660,098 but by last month the Arusha-based Secretariat complained that the development partners, who contribute 70 per cent of the budget, had not disbursed about 30 per cent fo the expected funds.
During the fiscal year coming to an end, EAC was compelled to phase out some projects funded by development partners due to declining support from donors.
The $ 110.6m that was approved for expenditure was $14 million less than the 2014/2015 financial year budget which totalled $124 million.
The next financial year budget will be read by Tanzania’s minister for Foreign Affairs, International and EAC Affairs Dr. Augustine Mahiga, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers, the policy organ of the Community.
The unprecedented budget decline is also seen as a move to tighten financial control in the EAC and comes on the heels of recent allegations of rampant misuse of funds by some Community organs and institutions.
Development partners account for about 70 per cent of the annual budget of the EAC which is used to finance development projects and programmes as well as meeting the general expenditure of administrative and operational activities.
Unlike the previous years, the tentative estimates of the Community for the coming financial year have not been made public.
In the past, such estimates are discussed and approved by the Council of the Ministers.
According to the senior public relations officer of Eala, Bobi Odiko, the plenary session will start tommorrow afternoon with the swearing in of Mr. Mfumukeko, a Burundi national, as the ex-officio member of the Assembly.
The other ex-officio members of Eala are ministers responsible for EAC Affairs in all the partner states; Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda and the Counsel to the Community. Each country, with the exception of recently admitted Siouth Sudan, has nine legislators to the Assembly.
Source: The Citizen

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