Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello Thursday presented the 2016 budget proposal of N74, 744,151,133.00 billion to the State House of Assembly. It is tagged ‘Budget of Restoration’.
According to the Governor, the 2016 budget will be financed through Statutory allocation estimated at N35,792,212,748.00, Value-Added Tax (VAT) N9,871,299,803.00; Internally Generated Revenue N9,391,164,235.00; and Capital receipts N19,689,474,347.00 bringing the total to N74,744,151,133.00.
It is made up of recurrent estimate of Thirty Nine Billion, Five Hundred and One Million, Seven Hundred and Ninety Six Thousand and Eighty One Naira (N39, 501,796,081.00) which represents 52.85%.
The Governor further stated that the estimated recurrent expenditure for 2016 comprises of Personnel Cost, N27,791,636,930.00, Overhead Cost at N8,349,855,448.00, while Consolidated Fund Charges will gulp N3, 360,303,703.00 bringing the total amount to N74,744,151,133.00.
Also, the sectorial breakdown of the Capital Expenditure, Administrative will gulp N3, 687,052,540.00,
Economic N23,998,054,631.00, Law & Justice N896,400,000.00 and Social N6,660,847,880.00 bringing the total to N74,744,151,133.00.
Governor Bello said, “The Government was guided by the global economic trend of fall in the price of crude oil, our internal revenue capacity, anticipated drawn-downs from Development Partners and the Special Intervention Funds.”
Further breakdown shows that Education will gulp N 4.29 Billion; N 3.59 Billion in Infrastructural Development; N 2.61 Billion in Health; N 2.53 Billion in Agriculture and Rural development; N 2.38Billion in Water Resources.
“The highlights of the 2016 Budget will focus on Wealth Creation and Job Creation through Youth Empowerment Programmes; Agricultural Development through encouragement of Commercial Agricultural Enterprises and the small and subsistence farmers through timely procurement and distribution of fertilizers at subsidized rates.
“Others are Construction, Upgrading and Rehabilitation of Health Facilities and Services; Completion of all on-going Road Projects and Construction of new Roads; Completion of inherited abandoned Water and Electricity Projects.
“The Renovation of Schools using the Whole-School Development Approach; Improvement and enhancement of Internal Revenue Generation; Observance of Due Process in the application and utilization of funds; Digitalisation of State owned Media Outfits; Consolidation of the existing ‘Peace and Security’ currently enjoyed in the State and Exploration of Development Partners contribution to complement State efforts.
“We are all aware of the effect of the continuous fall in the price of crude oil in the International Market and its negative impact on the economy of the country and the States that depend heavily on allocation from the Federation Account.
“The situation is further aggravated because of our inability to meet target of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). You will agree with me that this disadvantaged situations call for strategic measures and collective efforts to boost our revenue base and lessen our dependence on ‘hand-outs’ from Abuja.
“The areas of leakages and wastages will be identified and blocked accordingly. The Treasury Single Account (TSA) will become operational in the year. I must emphasise that this Administration has zero tolerance for corruption. Stolen funds will be recovered and proven cases of corruption dealt with accordingly,” Governor Bello said.
The speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Hon. Ahmed Marafa assured the Governor that the budget would be passed speedily.
