By Moses M. Tokpah|LPR News, Kakata
The Principal and Executive Officer (EO) of the Booker T. Washington Institute, Atty. Harris Fomba Tarnue has decried what he called the continued decline in budgetary support to the institution.
Principal Tarnue making a special statement at the Institute’s 91st founder’s day celebration on Monday June 29, 2020 said in pre-civil war time, BWI received handsome funding around an annual budgetary allocation of USD 6M.
He stated that prior to his assumption of service as principal in 2016, BWI was a direct recipient of grant on a quarterly basis for compensation and operations hovering USD 3.5M but in the current national fiscal administration, the government has “removed the grant status and placed all compensation at central administration with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and the Civil Service Agency.
He noted that government’s operational (Goods and Services) allocations have continued to decline referencing fiscal years 2017/2018, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 respectively.
The Principal explained that in fiscal year 2017/2018, the amount of 1,161,441.00 was placed in the national budget for BWI but the institution actualized 619,450.00 while in fiscal year 2018/2019 the amount of 881, 986.00 was budgeted for BWI and 325,459.00 was actualized.
Going forward, the Principal said in fiscal year 2019/2020, the institution had in the national budget 786,512.00 and 56,622.00 is being actualized.
On the other hand, Principal Tarnue revealed that the institution under its self-financing or internal revenue performance approved budget for fiscal year 2017/2018 was 459, 729 and the institution actualized 574,156.00 while in fiscal year 2018/2019 the institution budgeted 576,600.00 and the amount of 585,582.00 was generated.
He furthered that in fiscal year 2019/2020 BWI approved budget was 469,760.00 and up to May 2020 the institution generated 469,407.00.
He said as seen from the above government funding performance progressively over a three years period, much is wanting thereby leading to low clients/customers plus low access to TVET.
The BWI Boss intoned that public financing is shrinking! Consequently and their value preposition for self-financing includes expansion of their already started entrepreneurial, innovative and enterprising programs and activities.
He said they must expend their internal revenue streams, move quickly to further dissatisfaction of financing sources for the institute, though some areas need investment funding.
Atty. Tarnue expressed the need to establish a Research and Development Unit to engage into conducting studies and proffering solutions to problems in various organizations in Liberia where BWI and along with stakeholders like the Ministry of Transport and Motor Bikes Operators Union conduct nation-wide motor bikes maintenance, servicing, safety and licensing improvement for making motor bike operation a vibrant national economic activity.
He also recommended that BWI partners with the Ministries of Public Works and Transport to certify operators of heavy equipment prior to their licensing using the BWI Japan Heavy Equipment Operator School for such agreement, the expansion of BWI’s campus clinic facility to upgrade it to include an OPD for the larger Kakata Community and its environs especially attending to children, women and the elderly.
Principal Tarnue however, said the institution is struggling to find funding to complete its 14 hectares for vegetable production to support the students’ cafeteria and provide self-financing source.
At the same time, the Principal indicated that the project has come a long way with over US$25,000 already invested by the administration and over US$30,000 already invested by the BWINAANA with just another US$15,000 needed to enable BWI to produce different varieties of vegetables all year round.
Atty. Tarnue: “What will be the drivers of this economic model for self-financing of BWI look like, one may ask? Well, we already know that BWI’s major source of income or financing has continued to be government’s budget”.
He meanwhile appreciated their international development partners for their support to TVET including the European Union UN Agencies, U.S. Embassy as well as the founding fathers of BWI and their predecessors.
