Experts from Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) member countries on Wednesday in Cape Town, South Africa, recommended the organisation's Cabinet Council to approve a Usd 53.9 million budget, Angop learned.

According to figures made available to Angop, of the above amount, USd 19.9 million come from contributions from member countries, 2.5 million from reserve funds, 2.5 from contribution balance, 850,000 from other incomes and 28.0 million from international partners.

The drafting of the SADC budget took into account the current world financial crisis. The funds from contributions in previous years amounted to Usd 25.0 million while, this year, exceptionally, the states will contribute a global amount of Usd 19.9 million.

Due to the world economic and financial crisis, the experts defend that from this year on, the balance of the organisation's budget be transferred to the following economic budget, instead of going to the reserve fund. This is to reduce the burden paused by the contributions.

Last year, Angola contributed Usd 2.3 million. With the update of its current Gross Domestic Product, the country's contribution might rise to Usd 2.8 million, which represents the biggest amount of the organisation, only second to South Africa's Usd 4.6 million.

The SADC region has a Gross Domestic Product of more than Usd 220 billion. It comprises Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.