By Matthew Okello
TORORO
The Eastern Division in Tororo Municipality has passed the budget for financial year 2021/2022 in its last council meeting for political term 2016-2021
The budget which was passed yesterday 6th May, 2021 amounts to Shs252 Million.
The budget saw the lion’s share go to the administration with 30 million going to finance department, 20 million to Public Health, technical services was given 8 million, education was given 17 million, internal audit 8 million, production and marketing 5 million, environment 6 million and then trade and industry was allocated 3 million.
The council in passing next financial year budget also cried of poor performance of the ongoing financial year budget where performance stood at 45% after revenue sources like market, boda boda, abattoir, loading and offloading are affected.
In 2020/2021 financial year budget, the division had anticipated to raise 308 million but was only able to collect 115 million forcing the division to reduce the budget estimate from 308 million to estimated 264millions.
Surprisingly after being greatly pinched by COVID-19, Eastern division budget gave less attention to COVID-19 recovery plans.
Meanwhile council also had a special session to minute the outgoing council’s achievements for the last 5 years with the aim of giving the next council a reference document.
During the special council session, the Eastern division chairperson, John Ochwo highlighted council’s achievements as fencing of most government entities, renovation and construction of classroom blocks, extension of piped line water and repairing of boreholes, opening roads and improving general infrastructure.
Ochwo also appreciated new councilors for attending the council session and asked them to work as a team so that they can widen the local revenue base of the division so that services are extended to the communities.
The Eastern Division Speaker, Deogratious Emojong asked the incoming councilors to lower their expectations and avoid unnecessary suspicions amongst themselves and the technical officers arguing that such suspicions will lead to unnecessary conflicts in the division.
Emojong noted that some new councilors sold their fowls, animals, land and many other assets to win the elections thinking that they are going to reap big from the positions they have acquired which is not true.
The outgoing councilors were also given certificates of merit to appreciate them of their great works.
