ECOWAS cuts down on cost

The ECOWAS Commission saved $12 million from operational costs cutting in 2016.

Mr Marcel de Souza, President of the commission, said at the opening of the first Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja on Friday.

De Souza, who was represented by Mr Edward Singhatey, Vice President of the commission, said the efficient cost control measures had been implemented to make the organisation more effective and credible.

“The cost cutting measures were put in place by the new management when we took over office in March 2016.

“There was an urgent need for those cost cutting measures to be put in place because when we assumed the role of management of the ECOWAS Commission, we found out that the commission was in a precarious financial situation.’’

He said that a number of measures to cut were taken including expenditure streamlining, cut in delegations for meetings and cutting cost in certain activities.

He added that the measure led to savings in all community institutions and resulted in the resumption of the institutional reform and operations of the Task Force on free movement.

The commission president added that the cost cutting was to implement programmes and projects that would facilitate the ECOWAS Vision 2020.

In December 2016, Chairperson of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Governments, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, called for a cut in administrative costs and a focus on programmes that would enhance regional development. (NAN)