Post COVID-19 Economy: Cross River Activates CRS World Bank Multi- Sectoral Strategy In Project Implementation
State Correspondent
As part of the post Covid-19 reform plans, Ministries, Departments and Agencies in Cross River State will henceforth embrace world Bank Multi-Sectoral model in programme and Project Implementation.
Governor Ben Ayade stated this at the quarterly Steering Committee meeting of the World Bank,State and Local Government Reform Project (SLOGOR) in Calabar.
Ayade who was represented by the Commissioner for International Development Cooperation (MIDC), Dr Inyang Asibong, explained that the new strategy will guarantee system monitoring and evaluation of projects inline with the world bank standard.
Asibong posited that the battle against novel coronavirus pandemic has affected the state economy like everywhere in the world, assuring that the state will ensure the new model reduce excesses in all MDAs using various World Bank instruments.
The CRS World Bank instruments according to Asibong,will strengthen Cross River State Integrated Financial Management Information System (SIFMIS), Medium Term Fiscal Strategy Model (MTEF ) and Medium Term Sector Strategy (MTSS).
She assured the MDAs that Governor Ayade’s Efforts working with the world bank have started producing result to adjust to life in what is now referred to as the “New Normal”.
“Let me at this point sue for cooperation and support of all the line MDAs on this new strategy of the post covid-19 economy response implementation of the State Government in line with the Federal Government and World Bank’s support.
“The collective achievement of this effort will position Cross River for life after the Covid-19 pandemic” she said.
The Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Mrs Stella Odey in her remarks advised the Committee to take proper advantage of the State Government’s stimulus packages in the face of the covid-19 pandemic while they develop a sectoral and economic management strategy across all the MDAs in this regard.
“The State Government has made available stimulus packages in monetary policies, job opportunities in the Health, Agriculture, Environment and Security sectors as well as Community micro projects that will provide a safety net for residents of the State during the covid-19 crisis and beyond” she explained.
Some of the line MDAs present at the meeting includes the State Auditor General, the State Accountant General; the Executive Chairman State Internal Revenue Service; the SLOGOR Project Coordinator; the Special Adviser Budget; the MIDC Permanent Secretary and his counterpart in Ministry of Finance among others.
