MPs Urge Adequate Implementation As ECOWAS Parliament Adopts 2025 Budget …Call for full remittances of community levy
By Innocent Odoh and Punarimam Fehintola in Lome, Togo
Members of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have called for a speedy and adequate implementation of the 2025 preliminary draft budget of the regional legislature which proposed UA 23, 371, 350 in line with the Community Strategic Framework (CSF).
The legislators made this call during the consideration and adoption of the draft budget report presented to the Plenary by the Committee on Administration, Finance and Budget at the ongoing 2024 Third Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament( 6th Legislature) presided over by Second Deputy Speaker, Hon. Adjaratu Traore on Monday in Lome, Togo.
Vice Chairman of the Committee Ibrahima Sall from Senegal, noted that the preliminary draft of the 2025 budget of the Parliament balanced both in terms of revenue and expenditure stands at UA 23, 371, 350 representing an increase of UA 155, 356 or 0.6% compared to the 2024 budget, which amounted to UA 23, 215, 994.
Out of this projected revenue of UA23, 371, 350 for the 2025 fiscal year, the sum of UA23, 359, 589, or 99.95%, will be funded from the Community Levy proceeds, while UA11, 761 or 0.05% will be derived from other sources.
A breakdown of the 2025 estimated expenditure indicates that the governing bodies will take UA128, 695 representing 0.55%; Administrative Expenses will take UA 8,019, 635 representing 34%; Programmes take the lion’s share of UA15, 122,908, representing 64.71%; while Contingency will take UA100, 122 which represents 0.43%.
The 2025 draft budget of the parliament was prepared based on the guidelines contained in the 2025-2027 budget circular issued to the community institutions by the President of the ECOWAS Commission Dr. Omar Alieu Touray.
The Commission has set four strategic objectives to provide strategic orientation for the Community institutions over their four-year mandate. The four strategic areas include: Enhanced Regional Peace and Security; Deeper Regional Integration; Good Governance as well as inclusive and Sustainable Development.
Speaking during the plenary, Ibrahima Sall, who represented the chair of the Committee, Hon Benjamin Kalu, said that “we have flagship activities for 2025 given the political and social situation of the sub region. We need to commit enough resources to address the challenges facing the sub region.”
He however, urged defaulting member countries to update their payment of the community levy to mobilize funds for the operations of the regional bloc.
Also speaking during the plenary, Hon. Edwin Snowe from Liberia noted that it has become incumbent on members to ensure a speedy and detailed implementation of the Parliament budget. He urged the Bureau to expedite action on the remittances of the levy and set up a “mechanism to ensure compliance.”
Hon. Veronica Cessay from Sierra Leone called on the Parliament to commit resources to promote projects and programmes for women and girls through the ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association (ECOFEPA).
Hon. Cessay, who is also the ECOFEPA President called on defaulting member countries to pay up their community levy.
In a related development, Hon. Saa Emerson Lamina (Sierra Leone) said the “Community Levy is the life-support of the Parliament,” even as he expressed worries that countries still renege in their commitment to the community levy. He urged the parliament’s Bureau to put more pressure even some sanctions on the defaulting members.
According to committee report the 2025-2027 budget must comply with ECOWAS Council of Ministers Directive in allocating at least 65% for the progamme budget and at most 35% for administrative expenses. Furthermore, the draft budget of each institution, department and agency shall remain the same as the 2024 approved budget with exceptions of peace and security, humanitarian interventions, health, and special community
