In an address at an African Union High-Level Retreat, President John Dramani Mahama advocated for the Union’s financial independence to ensure that the continental body is free from overreliance on external funding.
He, therefore, called for an expedited implementation of the Kigali decision on financing the continental body. The Kigali Decision on Financing the Union was made in July 2016 and was to establish a levy on imported goods to fund the AU.
President Mahama also advocated for principles on how member states conduct their affairs, ensuring that their policies and programmes translate into real change for their people.
“We must adopt a mechanism that prioritises accountability, transparency and value for money, ensuring that every resource is maximised for the benefit of the African people”, he stated.
The two-day Heads of State retreat on the Institutional Reform of the African Union in Nairobi, Kenya, was chaired by Kenyan President William Ruto as the Chair of the AU Institutional Reforms.
President Mahama said one of the pillars of reforms is the AU’s financial autonomy, arguing that the over-reliance on external partners for funding compromises the organisation’s independence and ability to set its own agenda.
