Bali Municipality earmarks water supply, roads and classrooms as priority projects

Ngoh Ajong Sylvanus Dobgima

Ngoh Ajong Sylvanus Dobgima, Lord Mayor of Bali Municipality has earmarked water supply, road infrastructure and the construction of classrooms as priority projects for the 2018 Financial Year. He made this disclosure on Friday December 15, 2017 during the Council Session dedicated to the examination and adoption of the 2018 draft budget.

Commenting on the 2.48% decrease in the budget from that of the previous year he said “the decrease is as a result of a circular we had from the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation that we should produce realistic budgets which we should be able to execute up to 95%. It has not decreased for important projects but has instead increased because we have funding from the state, other NGOs among others. In the last budget we realised projects such as the construction of classrooms, bridges, an Agro Pastoral show, and the payment of salary arrears to workers among other things.”

The Sociopolitical climate in the Northwest and Southwest Regions he said grounded a lot of businesses and these in turn refused to pay taxes. He further said some of the decreases this year were due to uncertainty on how things may turn out. “We don’t want to put a budget at a level that we will not be able to execute. Our priority projects this time around include water supply, classrooms and road maintenance.”

In his welcome speech the mayor said “the budget which balanced in revenue and expenditure at the sum of 386.600.000 FCFA have been structured in such a way that Bali Council will generate about 60.000 FCFA. This will come essentially from Bali daily market, Building Permit Fees, Park Access, Pound Fee, Sanitation Tax, Council Stamp Duty, Slaughter Fees and Council Rents to mention but these. To complete the table, the remaining revenue shall come from FEICOM, Public Investment Budget and PNDP following the convention signed with these structures.”

Mayor Dobgima further intimated that the council shall be responsible for projects such as Solar System at the Golar Water System, extension of electricity to Mum, grading of roads within the Mbufung Community, the organisation of the mini agro pastoral and crafts show, livestock competition and repayment of loans.

In collaboration with LIFIDEP the council will construct the Etoma-Koppin road, construct one A1 crush in the Koppin Fulani Community, a slaughter house at Gwan, sales slab at Njenka, a block of two classrooms and two toilets at GTC Naka and a community hall.;

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