2016 is an election year. In 2014 the government spent 99.2 Million on celebrations. The Independent Electoral Commission was allocated 9 Million Dalasis. In 2015, 100 Million was allocated for National celebrations. IEC was allocated 9 Million Dalasis. 2016 is an election year. One expects expenditure on the registration of voters and conduct of Presidential Elections. Celebrations receive an allocation of 50 Million dalasis while IEC is allocated 42 Million Dalasis.
The country is going through austerity because of a domestic debt burden of 20.7 Billion dalasis . However, in the past two years when the debt burden worsened to the extreme the country spent almost 200 Million dalasis on celebrations. How many learning materials could this sum have provided? How many packets of drugs could we have bought? How many labour saving devises, water facilities, etc could they have made available?
Every government has priorities. Celebrations are certainly of least priority in a period of austerity.
