By DANIELA ITOE NGUM
The sum of FCFA 500 million, balanced in revenue and expenditure has been voted by municipal councillors of the Kumba III Council, as the 2019 budget for the council. The sum witnessed a 25% increase as compared to that of the previous year.
The Mayor of the Kumba III Council, John Kona Makia noted that the 25% increase in the budget which represents FCFA100 million is justified by his predicted possibility of a return to normalcy in the Southwest and Northwest regions of the country.
Mayor Makia revealed that out of the FCFA 500 million budgeted, FCFA 276 million has been allocated for recurrent revenue and FCAF 223 million for investment expenditure.
The Mayor regretted the losses the municipality has incurred as a result of the ongoing crisis. He regretted the fact that most income generating sources have been forced to close down. He cited the cases of CDC Mukonje Rubber Plantation and the railway station, CAMRAIL, rendering many jobless and internally displaced.
Mayor Makia in his address revealed that, the council’s priority area for 2019 focuses on the maintenance and construction of roads, construction of culverts, construction of blocks of classrooms, construction of a bridge at Apollinaire Street to link Kumba III to Kumba II, dis-enclavement of the council building area by opening a new street, follow-up of the Mambanda water project, extension of electricity to Mundame and Dschang quarters, construction of a slaughter house, renovation of Head Master’s residence in Malende, grading of streets and many more.
The conclave that took place on December 27, 2018 at the Kumba III Council chambers was presided at by the 1stAssistant Senior Divisional Officer, ASDO for Meme, Joseph Nguime.
The Assistant SDO in his closing remarks regretted the slow execution of projects and the poor revenue collection registered in the municipality. He urged the Mayor to create more income generating activities in the municipality so as to better execute projects.
He further called on the Mayor to ensure that council workers are registered with the National Social Insurance Fund in order to guarantee their pension, upon retirement.