Fako’s share of national cake drops

The state budget for Fako division for the 2015 financial year has been launched, with many stakeholders wondering why the budget witnessed a decrease as compared to that of the previous year.The ceremony to launch the state budget in the division, took place in Limbe on January 22.

As concerns the first semester of the current financial year 2015, Fako Division has as total allocation 1.502.454.277Fcfa. Comparing this amount to that of 2014 financial year which stood at 2.110.945.031Fcfa at the same period, there is a decrease in the packet sent to the Division.

The amount mentioned above is distributed as follows: Recurrent Budget -741.530.777representing 49.35%, while Investment Budget stands at 760.923.500Fcfa and represents 50.64% of the Budget. Also, Delegated Credits to the Councils is 470.979.100Fcfa which is 31.34% of the Budget.

Comparing this figure to that of the 2014 financial year which was 773.841.750 Fcfa, indicates a decrease in delegated Credits to the Councils.

The 2015 State Budget for Fako Division is distributed to the Sub Divisions as follows: Limbe-running credits, 365.352.217 while investment credit is 270.952.000, giving a total of 636.304.277. Tiko has 256.813.640 as running credit and 21.800.000 as investment credit with total, 278.613.540.

For Idenau, 30.779.200 stands for running credit and investment credit is 4.500.000, totaling 35.279.200, while Muyuka sub division has 73.568.120 running credit and 3.000.000 for investment credit, giving a total of 76.568.120.

The ceremony witnessed seven presentations from the divisional controller of finance, the divisional chief of taxes, the divisional treasurer, the chief of custom sector Bota, and the divisional delegates of MINEPAT, public contracts and trade. The divisional heads of services all gave a report of their activities in 2014, some challenges, innovations in 2015 and projections.

In chairing the ceremony, Fako Senior Divisional Officer, Zang III, urged all stakeholders to increase their efforts and fully take their responsibilities in championing development in the division, as he promised hell for all contractors who abandon projects in the division. The SDO said such persons will be dealt with, and requested a list of such contractors to be handed to him in the days ahead.

Zang III said the delay, laxity and care-free manner in the award, handling and control of contracts must end, and all stakeholders must be responsible and effectively carry out their functions.

The SDO wondered aloud how a single individual can be awarded up to four projects without doing an effective job, and still comes back for more, and or why a contractor will bid very low for a contract which he/she knows they cannot do it effectively.

Another main focus during the debate which followed the presentations was the issue of the lowest bidder, which the delegate of public contracts said was backed by the law. Other stakeholders, including the SDO were not comfortable, as they said a very low bidder cannot do an effective job, and they urged the delegate to ensure that very low bids are rejected.