At the crucial meeting, Tanzania’s delegation is to be led by Dr. Augustine Mahiga, Minister of Foreign Affairs, East Africa, Regional and International Cooperation.
The Council of Ministers meeting comes at a time when SADC is facing different challenges, including lack of financial resources and many projects compared to limited resources it has as most of its member states don’t pay their contributions in time.
Last year’s chairman of the regional body, President Ian Khama of Botswana, urged the bloc to rearrange its projects according to its available limited resources instead of depending on donor contributions.
Meanwhile, the former chairman of the Council, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi of Zimbabwe, cautioned last year that SADC cannot continue to postponed the indefinitely the debate on alternative sources of funding of the organization.
But a statement released by SADC secretariat last week noted that on March 14 and 15, this year, the SADC council of ministers, which traditionally meets annually during this period of the year, will be convened to review implementation of its decisions and approve the SADC budget.
“This council will therefore primarily discuss and approve the budget for the 2016/2017 SADC activities, and will review progress made on the implementation of 2015/2016 plan and budget and its decisions taken at its last meeting in August 2015 in Gaborone,” it was stated.
SADC comprises 15 member states, including Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, and Mozambique.
Others are Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Seychelles. Its financial year runs from April to March every year.
Madagascar membership is currently suspended after the coup d'état led by the former Mayor of Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina.
According to the timetable released by the SADC secretariat, the Council of Ministers will be preceded by meetings starting on March 5, this year, for senior treasury officials and ministerial task force senior officials.
Others were preparation of documents for the standing committee of senior officials, standing committee of senior officials, ministers of finance and investment and ministerial task force on regional integration.
The SADC secretariat statement explained that while reviewing progress in the implementation of the plan and budget for 2015/2016, the council will deliberate on priorities and plans for 2016/2017 that were expected to contribute and foster SADC regional integration and development agenda.
It added that the SADC focus for 2016/2017 continues to be on implementation of priorities outlined in the revised regional indicative strategic development plan (RISDP) 2015-2020.
The respective plan prioritizes industrialization and market integration; infrastructure development to support regional integration; peace, security and political cooperation; special programmes of regional dimension.
It will also focus on finalisation of the industrialization action plan while continuing to implement phase one of the industrialisation strategy, whose interventions were contained in the RISDP 2015 – 2020.
Another area of SADC priority was continued implementation of the regional agricultural policy, in order to improve production, productivity, competitiveness and trade in the agricultural sector, natural resources and environment.
“This is expected to contribute to industrialization and market integration, while enhancing food security and the management of natural resources and the environment,” it was stated.
However, the SADC secretariat highlighted an intensification of the implementation of member States’ economic reforms, plans and strategies in a consistent manner to resolve the challenges affecting their economies and set their economies on a sustainable growth path.
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