Staff were warned against embezzlement and reminded that the law is there for any who mismanage.
Of the FCFA 2.798 billion voted by councillors of the Douala V Council as budget for 2018, over FCFA 1.119 billion has been earmarked for investment in many domains. The budget was voted during a board meeting that held in the council hall that is still under construction in Bonamoussadi December 22.
The new budget consists of some FCFA 476 million projected to be collected as revenue in 2018. The addition is justified on new areas earmarked for the collection of more revenue.
By this the executive has shown willingness to intensify investment with the goal of improving upon the living conditions of the populations. Priority is given to education, health, road rehabilitation, hygiene and sanitation and environment, infrastructures, such as the construction of provision stores, basketball stadia, and the fight against mosquitoes and other harmful insects and the completion of the construction of a maternity.
The council is determined to strengthen cooperation with foreign structures with the aim of completing the construction of social houses, street lighting by photovoltaic system, create six start-ups to incubate enterprises by 30 youths selected from the area, the treatment and bottling of mineral water and the acquisition of a dental ambulance.
However, the new budget has dropped by over FCFA 862 million from that of 2017. Mayor Gustave Ebanda explained that the decrease is due to a decision of executives in order to elaborate a more realistic and realisable budget. Revenue has consistently dropped since 2015 from over FCFA 1.838 billion to over FCFA 1.752 billion in 2016 but rose to over FCFA 2.157 billion by December 18, 2017.
The representative of the SDO of Wouri cautioned that workers should not be paid more than the necessary amount, emphasising that revenue collected is meant for investment to benefit the entire municipal population. He asked the mayor to have in place strategies to collect revenues. He warned staff against embezzlement, saying the law is there for any who desires to dance to its tune.