By Mohammed Yangida, Lafia Nasarawa state Governor Umaru Al-Makura has presented a budget estimate of N 77 .917 billion for the 2016 fiscal year to the Nasarawa state House of Assembly.
Presenting the 2016 appropriation bill on Thursday, he tagged it “Budget of pragmatism”
Al-makura noted that the recurrent expenditure for the 2016 budget is N43, 335,912,339 billion representing 55.6 percent of the budget while capital expenditure is 34,581,214,460 billion representing 44.4 percent of the total budget and the total budget size is N 77,917,126,799 was presented with decrease of N30.216 billion as against the 2015 appropriation budget.
He also explained that the 2016 budget will focus more on completing projects that are on -going which have direct bearing on the lives of the citizens.
According to him “the 2016 appropriation is christened “Budget of Pragmatism”. This is keeping with the commitment of this Administration to the principles of transparency, accountability and fulfillment of its pragmatic and realistic covenant with the good people of the state.
The governor said, the 2016 budget is to be funded from the revenue sources opening balance of N1.781 Billion, Federation Account Statutory Revenue Allocation of N30 Billion, Value Added Tax (VAT) of N10 Billion, Excess Crude Oil receipts of N250 Million, Exchange Gain of N2.5 Billion, Special Allocation of N3.5 Billion, Refund from NNPC of N250 Million, Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N8.92Billion,Aids and Grants of N6.24 Billion, Bond of N5 Billion, CBN Infrastructure Intervention Facility of N10 Billion, Commercial Bank .
The expenditure breakdown as read by the Governor shows that General Administration and Legislation N14.32 billion, Pension & Gratuity N3.00 billion ,Information & Culture N0.59billion,Civil Service Matters N0.568 billion, Sector Sub-Total N18.48 billion: Economic Sector, Agriculture & Water Resources, N2.80 billion, Works, Housing and
Transport N9.50 billion, Commerce & Industry N1.71 billion, Rural and Community Development N1.87 billion, Lands & Town Planning,N7.21 billion, Finance, Planning and Investment N8.81 billion Sector Sub Total N31.90 billion, Law & Justice Sector, Ministry of Justice N0.763 billion, High Court of Justice, N1.98 billion
Customary Court of Appeal N0.138 billion, Sharia Court of Appeal, N0.161 billion, Judicial Service Commission N0.124 billion Sector Sub Total N2.88 billion Social Sector Education N17.05 billion, Health N6.37 billion, Youth & Sports Development N1.04 billion, Environment & Natural Resources N0.098 billion, Women & Social Development N0.105 billion Sector Sub Total:N24.66 billion.
“The overriding objective of development is to eradicate poverty, ensure the well being of our people and above all promote social integration”. If these objectives are to be achieved therefore, we must work towards creating an inclusive society “a society for all” stable.
He continued “we have taken proactive steps to improve internally generated revenue and reduce our dependence on the statutory allocation without placing burden on the citizenry”
Al-makura added that his Administration remain committed to provision of infrastructure that will deepen the socio- economic development of the state and enhance the welfare of the people.
“We must resolve to provide exemplary leadership in order to meet the expectations and development aspirations of the people of the state “the Governor said.
