Abidjan- The Minister of Budget and State Portfolio, Moussa Sanogo, promised Friday, November 20, 2020, at the end of the adoption of the 2021 draft budget by the deputies who are members of the Economic and Financial Affairs Committee (CAEF) of the National Assembly, the strengthening of control in the execution of State expenditure.

Mr. Sanogo warned that particular emphasis will be placed on respect for budgetary discipline, the strengthening of a priori control and the monitoring of the capacity to absorb investment credits.

“It is already a great satisfaction to know that the 2021 finance law has been adopted by the National Assembly. Here we have a budget which, like last year, is organized into allocations and programs, but this budget year will be marked by the first evaluations of what was carried out last year, with the financial jurisdiction that is the Court of Auditors,” he added.

According to him, the achievement of the objectives pursued through this draft budget requires the implementation of framework measures for its execution as well as the reforms necessary to improve the recovery of resources and the efficiency of expenditure.

The draft budget for the year 2021, which is balanced in resources and expenses at 8,621.1 billion CFA francs, up 6.9% compared to 2020, was drawn up in a context marked by the health crisis linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and by preparing for and holding the presidential election on October 31, 2020.

This budget, the second program budget, is structured into 35 allocations and 149 budgeted programs within the institutions and ministries. It should allow the resumption of growth of the national economy with a rate of 6.5% in 2021 against 1.8% in 2020 with the good performance of demand driven by the dynamism of investments (6.7%) and the consolidation of final household consumption (5.4%).

The Ministers and Secretaries of State followed one another before the members of the CAEF, from Tuesday November 17 to Friday November 20, 2020, to defend their budgetary appropriations planned for their various programs.

Welcoming the in-depth and fruitful debates during the four days, Moussa Sanogo certified that the government will take into account the recommendations of the people's elected representatives for an inclusive management of public finances.

After the National Assembly, this same exercise will be done in the coming days before the Senate in Yamoussoukro.