The Speaker of the Parliament of the ECOWAS, Hon. Sidie Mohamed Tunis has stated that the fight against the current pandemic is the responsibility of all. As such, he is calling for solidarity and accountability from all, united in a common destiny to contain this pandemic.
Hon. Tunis said in his opening remarks at the parliamentary Seminar held from March 23 to 25, 2021 in Freetown that “either we win together or we perish together”. He did not beat about the bush to get people’s s attention and that of the leaders of West Africa and the world in the face of the persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that the pandemic has already caused over two million deaths worldwide.
Meanwhile, he indicated that the arrival of several vaccines is a real ray of hope. As such, he took the opportunity to commend the community of researchers and scientists who have made this significant progress possible in the fight against COVID-19.
Despite the progress made to curb the disease, Speaker Tunis urges the population to remain vigilant and to respect the measures to prevent the spread of the disease. Some of these measures include wearing a mask, washing hands, and physical distance. He also urges them to be vaccinated, as soon as possible, to curb the spread of the pandemic.
The need to strengthen regional integration
Furthermore, the Speaker of Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States remains firmly committed to the values that underpin the very existence of ECOWAS. These core values include free movement of people and goods, Strengthening democracy, peace, and prosperity within the sub-region.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the parliamentary seminar in Freetown, Speaker Tunis, commended the progress made in community integration. The ECOWAS Speaker noted that leaders must bring regional integration to the people.
“We must bring regional integration to the people. The ambition to build a prosperous and peaceful community space is irreversible”
Hon. Sidie Mohamed Tunis.
Moreover, he noted that the development remains “a necessary condition for the harmonious development of the region”. As a result, the Speaker insists that the community must pay special attention to one of the symbols of the implementation of these values in the region. This is the community levy.
The ECOWAS Community Levy
Additionally, he stated that the levy is “the very expression of the solidarity and accountability of our respective governments in the integration process and the realization of the regional program”. However, he acknowledged that the difficulty of recovery threatens the implementation of community projects and programs. As such, Hon. Tunis invited community parliamentarians to make relevant and innovative proposals in the House.
Meanwhile, the Speaker believes that there will be an adequate collection of resources for financing the activities of the community if they are able to increase the recovery rate.
Notably, the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government has put in place the Community Levy ; intended to mobilize funds necessary for the accomplishment of ECOWAS missions. As a result, It has been operational since 2003. This levy is 0.5%, imposed on goods from non-ECOWAS member states. Ideally, the funds from this Community Levy are intended to cover between 70 and 90% of the community’s budgetary revenues.
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