Under the heading of ‘Major Planning Options 2016’, Lagos council has outlined a range of initiatives for next year, now that its finances are under control.
The council board meeting on October 21st saw the proposed budget and the Major Planning Options section discussed and approved.
The next stage is for an assembly of the full council to vote on the proposals and then the public can review the details and comment.
According to the approved proposal document, the two overriding objectives are to develop social care and to continue the rigorous management of local authority resources.
These areas were two of the council’s obligations when it signed up for government financial aid under the scheme which moved short term loans into long term ones, thus reducing crippling monthly bank interest payments to more manageable amounts.
The 2015 plan for the council was to ensure ‘sustainability, quality and solidarity’ in the city of Lagos, according to the president, Maria Joaquina Matos, who said the council’s finances now are back on track.
The projects to be started next year include the improvement of roads in the city and its surrounding villages, the affirmation of Lagos as a city of historical and patrimonial wealth, the redevelopment of public spaces and the development of heritage sites such as the Lagos Cultural Centre and the Slave Market which already has had some remedial structural work and will be reopened to the public in early 2016.
According to the council, "is intended that Lagos affirms its position as the start point for the route of the Discoveries and develop a valuable niche market, that of historical tourism.”
There will be work done at the Municipal Museum Dr. José Formosinho/ Igreja de Santo António to expand the museum with a new wing dedicated to archaeology at the old PSP police station next door.
As for the social side of Lagos life, the plan is to continue to upgrade the municipal housing stock and to promote education and sport.
Without seeing to council’s end of year financial statements it in impossible to comment on next year’s proposals but if debts are reduced to manageable levels, development spending on the city’s tourist attractions and road infrastructure would seem long overdue and are to be encouraged, unless the debt to income ratio again is thrown out of kilter.
