Africa-Press – Cape verde. The activity plan and budget of the Santa Catarina City Council, in the interior of Santiago, for 2024, which amounts to one billion escudos, were approved this Friday in an ordinary session of the Municipal Assembly.
The activity plan and budget of the Santa Catarina City Council, in the interior of Santiago, for 2024, which amounts to one billion escudos, were approved today in an ordinary session of the Municipal Assembly.
The proposal had the approval of 11 elected representatives from the Movement for Democracy (MpD – the party that manages the chamber) and two from Santa Catarina Acima de Tudo (SAT, position) and eight abstentions from the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV, opposition ).
The president of the Santa Catarina City Council, Jassira Monteiro, told the press that the budget for the 2024 economic year is “bold”, but “very real”.
“Our budget is a real budget, very focused on the social component, with a strong focus on the recovery and continuity of the municipality’s infrastructure. It is a budget that aims at economic recovery, through boosting tourism, especially mountain tourism”, said the mayor.
This budget, which will continue to focus on families, youth, job creation, employability, contrary to the PAICV, assured the same source, “is feasible” even over a period of 10 months.
“It is a budget that will catapult Santa Catarina in terms of tourism and sport, and attract large investments to the municipality and will also boost the entire Santiago Norte region”, said the only female mayor in the country.
The leader of the PAICV bench, António Martins, said that his party, after analyzing the two instruments, voted against because it understands that they are not feasible within a period of 10 months and because the majority of the items are from previous budgets.
In his opinion, the repetitions of the 2019 budget lines to this date show that the chamber is not interested in developing these activities.
Increase in current expenses instead of investments, especially in key sectors for the development of this municipality with a rural vocation, such as fishing, agriculture and livestock, and in social cohesion and youth are other reasons that led your party to vote against this budget .
Contrary to PAICV, the leader of the MpD bench, Silvino Robalo, considered the budget “special” because it was “very well prepared”, based on balance and with a “human face”, hence the vote in favor.
Confident in the execution of the two management instruments, however, in a period of 10 months, due to the 2024 municipal elections, the municipal elected official noted that they will prioritize completion of ongoing works, projection of new works, and above all with a very strong emphasis on people.
He also added that in 2024, the chamber led by Jassira Monteiro, who has already expressed his willingness to continue leading the destinations of that municipality, in partnership with the Government will carry out the construction projects for the Saltos and Ribeira da Barca roads.
The spokesperson for the SAT bench, João Correia, for his part, justified the vote in favor by understanding that this budget with “some ambition” could boost the development of the municipality.
Despite his group voting in favor, the municipal elected official warned that they will monitor the execution of the budget on the ground.
Like the MpD and the mayor, João Correia admitted that the budget could be feasible even in 10 months.
The agenda also included the presentation and assessment of the council’s activity report, referring to half of the year 2023, discussion and approval of the financial restructuring proposal, via the issuance of an obligation, a proposal for authorization for partial suspension of the PDM (Municipal Master Plan) , a proposal to authorize the transfer of municipal land to the Ministry of Infrastructure, Spatial Planning and Housing, for the construction of social housing. T
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