Northwest Regional Assembly President says no legal framework for revenue collection for Special Status Regions.

By David Atangana

The President of the North West Regional Assembly has said there is no legal framework for revenue collection for the regional decentralized body hampering the smooth functioning of the institution.

Fru Angwafor III cried out Wednesday day July 12, 2023, during the opening of the July session of the assembly held in Bamenda, the headquarters of the region.

“Mid-way in our mandate we are still yearning to have a law, a legal framework for revenue collection,” said the Regional President making “a clarion call to our members of parliament, especially the senators, institutions charged with the welfare of regional and local authorities at the national legislative level.”

To meet the development needs of the region, he expressed the need for a law to be passed on the financial autonomy of regions

“We are pleading for the passage of the law on the financial regime of regions to address the huge gaps in our development burden,” he went on.

The situation at the moment he said, warrants some lofty projects adopted in previous sessions to be streamlined.

The central government it should be noted still wields power in how recruitment is done at the regional level, a situation likely to slow development.

“Financial resources are scarce but the most important resource, human capital for the Regional Assembly needs to be recruited. This can only be envisaged when the organizational chart is approved by the government.” Fru Angwafor continued.

The regional president with regret said; “It is therefore incumbent on us to streamline the rejected organizational chart that we adopted before. Our sister region the South-West, which shares the Special Status and cultural heritage with us did so a fortnight ago. With an approved organization chart, we will elaborate a recruitment plan, an indispensable instrument, a prerequisite for personnel recruitment.”

It should be noted that the July session of the North West Regional Assembly is dedicated to the deliberation of the budget.