East African Legislative Assembly, Arusha, Tanzania: 9th June, 2018: EALA has considered and approved Budget estimates for the Financial Year 2018/2019, totaling $99,770,716. Subsequently, the House also passed the EAC Appropriation Bill 2018 to anchor the said budget. The Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers, and Second Deputy Prime Minister, Republic of Uganda, Rt Hon Dr Ali Kirunda Kivenjija, presented the Budget Speech to an attentive House last week.
The 2018/2019 Budget themed: “Enhancing Prosperity and Welfare of EAC Citizens” is allocated to the Organs and Institutions of the EAC as follows; East African Community Secretariat ($46,693,056), East African Legislative Assembly ($17,885,852) and the East African Court of Justice ($3,982,446). The Inter-University Council for East Africa shall receive ($6,847,969), Lake Victoria Basin Commission ($13,357,673) while $ 2, 518,137 is earmarked for the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization. On their part, the East African Science and Technology Commission shall receive ($ 1,661,779), East African Kiswahili Commission ($ 1,605,353) and the East African Health Research Commission ($ 4,204,032). The East African Competition Authority is to benefit from $1,014,418 in the Financial Year 2018/19.
The 2018/2019 Budget is to be financed by Partner State contributions through the Ministries of EAC Affairs ($50,227,920); Ministries responsible for Education – ($ 4,466,210) and Ministries responsible for Fisheries ($ 1,551,032). Development Partners will support the Community to the tune of ($42,925,613) while Member Universities will inject in to the kitty $ 333,970. The miscellaneous revenue is pegged at $ 265,971.
Prior to the approval, the House approved with amendments the Report of the Committee on General Purpose on the budget estimates for the Financial Year 2018/2019. Following consultations between the Committee and the Chair of Council of Ministers, the Assembly made amendments to various suggested reallocations. The Assembly reallocated USD 1,627,771. The core areas are ICT Department of the Community, Political Federation and the staff welfare component. In the coming Financial Year, the Assembly has in a bid to be more efficient enhanced its Sitting Sessions approved six sessions that shall each last for three weeks (21 days). The Assembly has also set aside some funds for its sentisation program while also retaining funds earmarked for forensic audit.
In so doing, the House constituted itself in to a Committee of ways and means to consider and approve the Financial Statement for the Financial Year 2018/19 and a Committee of Supply to consider and approve the Estimates of Expenditure for the Financial Year 2018/2019.
Two days ago, the Assembly approved a supplementary budget of USD 4,968,590 for the current Financial Year ending June 30th, 2018. With it, the Assembly passed the EAC Supplementary appropriation, Bill, 2018 availing the funds out of the budget of the Community for additional expenditure of the Organs and Institutions of the Community.
The Chair of Council of Ministers moved the Bill before the House. The Chairperson of the General Purpose Committee presented to the House the Committee’s Report detailing the breakdown of the requested supplementary budget. The Chair informed the House that the EAC Secretariat had made a requisition for USD 2,253,784 for feasibility study on reforms aimed at aligning its structures, facilitation of deployment of Observer Missions and for undertaking projects under the EAC Power Master Plan. Other activities include support for the 50 Million African Women Speak Networking project and the EAC Medicines Regulatory Harmonisation Programme. On its part, the Lake Victoria Basin Commission earmarked USD 2,041,478 for projects under Climate Change, population and the project preparations under phase 3 of the Lake Victoria Environmental Management project (LVEMP 3).
The Assembly further appropriated a supplementary budget of USD 200,000 and USD 473,328 to the East Africa Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO) and the East African Health Research Commission (EAHRC) respectively. EASTECO’s purse was given a boost in support of the EAC Forum for Science, Technology and Innovation to facilitate the policy harmonization initiatives. The Health Commission was facilitated for enhancing the EAC Cross Board health Services.
For more information, contact
Bobi Odiko,
Senior Public Relations Officer,
East African Legislative Assembly,
P.O. Box 1096, Arusha, Tanzania.
Cell. +255-787-870945
Email: BOdiko@eachq.org
