Council adopts 2025 accounts as 1,180 new shops near completion
By Ikome Christie-Noella Eposi
In a landmark session demonstrating administrative resilience, councillors of Buea Council have officially examined and adopted the Administrative, Management, and Stores Management Accounts for the 2025 financial year. The first ordinary session of 2026 which held on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at the Council’s deliberating chambers, served as a comprehensive review of a year defined by significant legislative shifts and ambitious urban development.
Under the supervision of the Senior Divisional Officer (SDO) for Fako, Engelbert Viang Mekala, the councillors approved a budget execution that reached FCFA 1,827,264,174. This represents a 63.01% realisation rate of the initial FCFA 2.9 billion budget.
Addressing the assembly, the Mayor of Buea Council, David Mafani Namange Esq. characterised 2025 as a year plagued with difficulties that exerted adverse effects on revenue collection. The primary hurdle was the sudden introduction of Law No. 2024/020 on local taxation, signed just days after the 2025 budget had been voted.
This new legislation transferred the authority to collect most taxes from council collectors to state tax authorities. The transition led to widespread uncertainty and resistance among taxpayers, causing a revenue dip until a joint ministerial press release in March 2025 authorised councils to continue collecting six specific levies on a transitional basis. These included: Livestock slaughter and impoundment fees, Market stall rents and building permit fees as well as Parking fees and municipal excise duties.
Furthermore, the Mayor noted that the council received only the first quarter of equalisation funds from FEICOM, which significantly hampered expected expenditures.
Despite fiscal constraints, Mayor Namange highlighted major strides in modernising Buea’s commercial landscape. The centerpiece of these efforts is the construction of 1,180 shops at the Central Market under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) scheme. “We are already above 80% completion,” the Mayor revealed during a post-session interview, noting that the facility already includes a dedicated borehole, a water system, toilets, and a specialised transformer. The council is also overseeing 16 active projects funded by the World Bank-sponsored Local Governance and Resilient Communities Project (PROLOG).
Additionally, the council partnered with the Buea Association USA for a city-wide “Keep Buea Clean” campaign and collaborated with private denizens to construct 106 shops at the Bokwaongo Market.
Senior Divisional Officer, Engelbert Viang Mekala lauded the council’s commitment to regulatory standards. He specifically praised the council’s investment expenditure, which stood at 63.34%, well above the statutory minimum of 40%. “It is important for me as the Supervisory Authority to attend this session… Buea is the headquarters of the South West Region,” Mekala stated, while urging the executive to ensure even earlier budget execution for the 2026 financial year.
The session also saw the adoption of 22 deliberations, including a historic move to reclassify the Buea Council from Class 2 to Class 3, a reflection of its growing administrative and financial stature.
In a stirring conclusion, Mayor Namange echoed the visionary approach of H.E. President Paul Biya, urging young compatriots who are still carrying weapons to silence their guns. He emphasised that peace is the prerequisite for the noble task of nation-building and achieving an emergent economy by 2035.
The session concluded with a formal Motion of Support read by Councillor Kange Williams, reaffirming the council’s “unflinching support” for President Biya and his efforts toward decentralisation and national stability.
