The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) on Thursday, June 22 passed a budget of $103.8 million (approximately Rwf120 billion) for the East African Community (EAC) for the 2023/2024 fiscal year. The approved budget includes changes in the allocation of funds to different organs and planned activities within the Community. Revised allocations primarily affected the EAC Secretariat and EALA, leading to reallocations of funds among various organs and institutions to support the implementation of different programs and activities. ALSO READ: EAC budget rises to $100m as MPs call for more to spur integration The EAC Secretariat will receive slightly over $50.3 million, which accounts for nearly half of the total budget for the upcoming fiscal year. However, this amount is slightly over $530,000, or slightly more than 1 percent, less than the proposed $50.9 million put forth by the EAC Council of Ministers. The East African Legislative Assembly's budget has been increased to over $18.2 million, representing a rise of over $500,000 or approximately 3 percent compared to the initially proposed $17.68 million. The additional funding aims to support EALA's committee activities involving oversight, public hearings, and legislative work, according to the report by the Committee on General Purpose, which analyzed the EAC budget. This additional amount was reallocated from different activities that were planned earlier but were found to be duplicates or had received excessive funds due to inconsistencies in costing and item allocation, as well as resource rationalization. ALSO READ: Regional MPs push for ‘adequate’ funding for EAC Within the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO), $120,000 originally allocated for three multidisciplinary collaborative research and development projects has been redirected to implement the EAC Regional Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Skills Development Programme. The committee justified this decision in their report, citing the lack of appropriate implementation guidelines for the former projects. They emphasized the significance of the unfunded EAC Regional Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Skills Development Programme, which aligns with EASTECO's core mandate. Allocations to other EAC organs and institutions remain unchanged, aligning with the proposals made by the Council of Ministers. The Lake Victoria Basin Commission will receive over $8.45 million, the Inter-University Council for East Africa will be allocated over $12.3 million, the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization will receive more than $2.8 million, and the East African Science and Technology Commission will be granted slightly over $2 million. The East African Kiswahili Commission will receive over $1.5 million, while the East African Health Research Commission and the East African Competition Authority will be allocated more than $2.1 million and $1.3 million, respectively. During the presentation of the report on the EAC budget for the 2023/2024 fiscal year, MP Kennedy Ayason Mukulia, Chairperson of EALA's Committee on General Purpose, highlighted the need for a review of planned programs and activities within the EAC Secretariat and other institutions. He noted excessive travel expenses and emphasized the importance of ensuring measurable and tangible outputs for the programs and activities. ALSO READ: EALA approves $12m supplementary budget MP Fatuma Ndangiza expressed that during their scrutiny, they discovered a mismatch between the budget's theme, Accelerating Economic Recovery, Climate Change Mitigation, and Enhancing Productive Sectors for Improved Livelihoods, and the priorities set for this year's budget. Ndangiza stressed the committee's aim to ensure value for money and accountability, avoiding duplication and excessive expenditure.
