The East African Legislative Assembly this week reconsidered and approved the EAC Budget Estimates for the Financial Year 2020/21, amounting to USD 97,669,708, at a Special Sitting held virtually. With it, the Assembly further enacted the recommitted EAC Appropriation Bill, 2020.
Under the 2020/21 vote, the EAC Secretariat is to receive USD 48,564,401, while the East African Legislative Assembly gets USD 16,755,725. The East African Court of Justice is expected to benefit from the kitty, earning USD 3,970,406, while USD 8,380,057 is earmarked for the Lake Victoria Basin Commission.
The Assembly further approved USD 1,536,751 for the activities of the East African Science and Technology Commission, and USD 1,399,318 for the activities of the East African Kiswahili Commission.
On its part, the East African Health Research Commission is to benefit from USD 1,879,600, East African Competition Authority USD 1,128,240, the Inter-University Council for East Africa, USD 10,977,276 and Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO) USD 3,077,934.
Of the total approved budget, the Assembly reallocated USD 518,050 to other activities considered pertinent to the integration agenda, given the available resources.
Subsequent passage of the EAC Budget now puts to an end the prolonged process which commenced in September 2020. In September 2020, EALA enacted the EAC Appropriation Bill, 2020, appropriating a total sum of USD 104,063,020, for the Organs and Institutions of the EAC.
The EAC Partner States however raised reservations on the variation of the budget estimates, necessitating the return (recommittal) of the said piece of legislation to the House. The House adjourned in December 2020, before reconsideration of the EAC Appropriation Bill 2020.
The 2020/21 EAC Budget is anchored on the Budget Speech themed “Stimulating the economy to safeguard livelihoods, jobs, businesses and industrial recovery” initially presented to EALA by the Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers and State Minister for EAC, Republic of Rwanda, Hon Prof Nshuti Manasseh.
According to the Chair of Council of Ministers, the Budget estimates (of USD 97,669, 708) were presented at a time the EAC region as well as the globe, continues reeling from the effects (and after-effects) of the COVID19 pandemic, leading to lockdowns and a slowdown in economic activities.
