Buea — The Southwest Provincial controller of Finance, Ernest Bokandjo Elema, has said the execution of investment budgets has started.

He made this declaration during the Southwest Provincial session for the Follow-up of Public Investments Budget for the year 2008, Tuesday, April 8.

Bokandjo asserted that due to technical reasons, some HIPC projects that were to be executed have been withdrawn. He said the projects concerned are 20 health projects, eight HIPC water projects and several other minor projects.

The Finance Controller also said the health projects that were rejected included an FCFA-80 million project for the purchase of two boats for the Health Ministry; FCFA 15 million for the purchase of equipment for the Wabane Hospital in Lebialem Division and FCFA 20 million for the purchase of a vehicle for Mundemba Hospital, amongst others.

He held that the committee in charge of evaluation of HIPC projects is still examining the files and that they are going to give the reasons why they were withdrawn in due time.

Bokandjo maintained that the withdrawal is not cancellation because the projects might be reconsidered for implementation in the future. As for the Southwest 2008 investment budget, he said it stood at FCFA 16 billion.