(ESRF) Executive Director, Dr Hoseana Lunogelo
A recent academic analysis on the budgetary schemes of the five
countries forming the community found out unrealistic allocation of
financial packages immensely affecting the poor performance in the
region.
The Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF) Executive
Director Dr Hoseana Lunogelo said mid this week in Dar es Salaam that
the community’s most vital development organs such as Lake Victoria
Basin Commission were almost defunct and reckless for the region.
Dr Lunogelo said this while presenting a post budget 2014/15
analysis dialogue titled “mainstreaming regional integration in the
development of national budget – the scenario of East Africa Community
in Tanzania” that EAC governments were stubbornly reluctant to support
and finance community regional organs.
“Given the situation, the governments of the five member states in
the region have been advised to allocate enough resources to ensure that
all institutions operating in the region accomplish their development
strategies,” he said.
He said studies have observed that the region has been allocating
small funds to these institutions, a situation that hinders development
efforts to expand regional integration.
Reports show that there have been minimal efforts in supporting
important sectors such as fishing, manufacturing and agriculture.
According to him, in the 2013/2014 financial budget, investment in
the sectors had gone down to an alarming rate, whereby fishery industry
was reduced to 13 per cent while the Lake Victoria Basin Commission
budget hovered down to 40 per cent.
Dr Lunogelo was also quick to note that for the previous fiscal
year, Tanzania has been doing well in supporting its institutions
operating under the EAC umbrella including the improvement of central
railway system and business activities that also involve other member
states.
He said member states need to work on recommendations made by research institutions such as ESRF.
On his part Dr Abdallah Makame from the Ministry of East African
Cooperation said that 50.4 percent of the budget contributed by partner
states is spent on Personnel Emoluments (PE) charges and other support
services while a meagre 21 per cent is spent on developmental projects.
He said the financing pattern clearly indicated that the running of
the regional integration activities relied heavilyon development
partners, a trend that was risky to the bloc.
In the fiscal year 2013/14 the total EAC budget stood at USD133million.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN