The municipal assembly of Akbou, a commune in Algeria's Béjaïa province, recently held a meeting to present its progress report after 18 months in office. The gathering, which took place at the 20 Août 1956 cinema hall, was attended by a large audience and featured an open debate towards the end. Mouloud Salhi, the commune's mayor, faced the challenge of presenting his administration's achievements, having taken office after 20 years of single-party rule under Abderrahmane Bensbaâ.
The new administration inherited a difficult situation, with 989 uncompleted projects, a dire financial situation, and an impatient population eager for improvements in their daily lives. According to Mohamed Boucherit, deputy mayor in charge of finance and administration, the commune had not had a financial account since 2005. The current administration has worked to rectify this situation, and as of last week, the commune's overall financial situation has been detailed, with 1,053 programs registered for 824 billion centimes.
The commune's financial situation is complex, with 737 billion centimes injected into 989 uncompleted projects and 401 programs closed with 267 billion centimes allocated. A further 649 programs worth 775 billion centimes are also registered. The annexe, which details the commune's financial situation, is set to be approved on June 24 during an ordinary assembly. This approval is expected to pave the way for the launch of several projects, which will have a positive impact on the lives of Akbou's residents.
The commune's budget has been revised downward to 103 billion centimes, due to a revision of the fiscal revenue. In 2018, the budget was 177 billion centimes. The commune's administration has prioritized certain projects, including the completion of the administrative block, which was damaged in a fire in 2017, and the construction of a sports hall, library, and bus station.
The administration also plans to improve the commune's infrastructure, including the canalization of several oueds and the bitumage of 26 km of communal roads for 17 billion centimes. Other projects include the realization of public lighting, the renovation of the sanitation network, and urban planning in several neighborhoods. The commune's mayor, Mouloud Salhi, has called on central authorities to provide support for the commune's development.
One of the major challenges facing the commune is a shortage of personnel, with only 500 employees for a population of 80,000 inhabitants. The mayor has appealed for a derogation to create new budget posts, but so far, there has been no response. The commune also faces challenges related to waste management, with several attempts to establish a modern waste disposal facility having failed.
The commune's administration is working to address these challenges and implement its development plans. The mayor has expressed his frustration with the lack of response from central authorities, particularly with regards to the creation of new budget posts and the establishment of technical services. Despite these challenges, the commune's administration remains committed to delivering on its promises and improving the lives of Akbou's residents.
Key points
- The commune's administration has inherited a difficult situation, with 989 uncompleted projects and a dire financial situation.
- The commune plans to launch several projects, including the completion of the administrative block and the construction of a sports hall, library, and bus station.
- The commune faces challenges related to personnel and waste management, and is calling for support from central authorities.
