Harboursandport.com: Abuja - Economic Community of West African (ECOWAS) Commission yesterday said Community Levy is not only becoming indispensable but represents 71% of the Commission’s approved income for 2021.
Disclosing this at the meeting of ECOWAS Administrative and Finance
Committee (AFC) in Abuja, the Chair of the Administration and Finance Committee
of ECOWAS Commission, Mohammed Ismaila, pleaded with all Member States to
continue to honour their financial obligations to the Community through their
prompt contributions to the community levy to rightly equip ECOWAS with the
requisite financial capabilities to effectively deliver its mandate.
Speaking earlier, Vice President of ECOWAS, Madam Finda Koroma, said that
West Africa region has improved in all development indices, noting that the
region is now operating more borderless now than before.
Koroma said: “We have moved economic and monetary integration agenda
forward and have enhanced the peace and security architecture to foster tranquility for political, social and economic development in our region.”
She noted that: "our 2021 programming has led to improvements in
key areas of our community such as agriculture, environmental protection,
climate change mitigation and adaptation, infrastructural development,
promotion of education and cultural exchange, youth development, and the
advancement of gender equality.
“We have also witnessed significant improvements in our health sector
and have leveraged on our coordination role to facilitate the availability of
health solutions for our people, especially on COVID-19 management.”
Koroma while admitting that 2021 has been an interesting year for
everyone, said: “There have been many highs and some lows which have all come
together to enhance the resilience of our people and ECOWAS institutions.”
She said: “Our people, our institutions and our staff have demonstrated
agility and tenacity to carry on with our various mandates with some
outstanding results, despite the common and individual challenges we faced in
the implementation of our duties.”
Koroma said: “Notably, distinguished delegates, through our programming
this year, our communities are becoming closer and more borderless. We have
come very close to adopting a common vision, namely the ECOWAS Vision 2050,
that will guide our growth in the next 30 years.
“The development of Vision 2050 has been an inclusive and participatory
and I cannot but express my sincere appreciation to all AFC members for your
support to the process. We certainly would not have been able to get the active
participation of the people of the region without you driving the process at
Member State level.”
She noted that: “Our private sector is becoming more engaged and is
receiving significant support in advancing economic development and integration
for our region, especially in the context of the African Continental Free Trade
Area (AfCFTA). This includes support to ICT start-ups. Special initiatives such
as the Regional Stabilisation and Development Fund and the Integrated Human
Capital Development Strategy have advanced significantly in achieving their
respective objectives.”
Commissioner of Finance, ECOWAS Commission, Mrs. Halima Ahmed said the
budget presentation being the last for the present administration would aim at
a seamless transition.
She said: “As already indicated by our indefatigable Vice President, Madam
Finda Koroma, we will be presenting to you the budget, which I can call “The
Budget of Transition”, prepared to ensure seamless transition and support the
take- off of the new Management come 1st March 2022.
We look forward to your discussions and input in the usual friendly
atmosphere.”
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