East Africa: EAC Budget Expected Monday

By By Zephania Ubwani

Arusha — The East African Community (EAC) budget estimates for 2020/2021 will finally be

tabled on Monday next week.

The delayed expenditure proposals for the regional body were initially scheduled to be read at the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) yesterday.

However, the tabling was pushed back to Monday due to what an official of the Secretariat said was because of procedural reasons.

"It is now official. The budget will be ready before Eala on Monday," the official in the communication unit told The Citizen on phone.

He confirmed the budget will be tabled via a video conference during a virtual sitting of the House necessitated by the outbreak of Covid-19.

The EAC budget for 2020/2021 has been a subject of altercations between Eala members and other organs of the Community as well as some partner states.

This is the first time the estimates are tabled in August instead of May or June before the beginning of the financial year on July 1.

The EAC Council of Ministers, a powerful organ of the Community, approved the estimates on August 3rd as mandated under the EAC Treaty.

The ministerial council approved $97.6 million as expenditure during 2020/2021 financial year for EAC and its three organs and nine institutions.

Out of the proposed amount in the budget layout, some 55.6 million will be contributed by the six partner states while the donors are expected to raise $ 41.9 million.

The Secretariat says the budget for the current year would focus on seven key priority areas under a myriad of the EAC integration programmes.

These are to include improvement of agricultural productivity, value addition and facilitation of movement of agricultural goods.

This would enhance food security in the bloc often hit by severe drought, devastating floods and other weather-related calamities.