By Mathew Denis and Mike Adeyemi
On Thursday November 23, 2017, Abdulfatah Ahmed, the Executive Governor of Kwara State presented a budget size of #181,886, 56,555 to the State House of Assembly.
The budget tagged : Budget of Sustained Growth and Prosperity , has #75,204, 257,902 representing 41.3% for recurrent expenditure, while a total sum #106,681,798,630 which represents 58.7 per cent is earmarked for capital expenditure.
Under the recurrent expenditure, N46,567,379,761 representing 62 per cent is allocated as overhead cost which includes subventions to parastatals, support grants and contributions, including overhead cost of tertiary institutions in the state. Personnel cost is expected to gulp N13,918,001,894 or 18.5 per cent of the total recurrent expenditure.
Appearing before the joint session of the Kwara House of Assembly, Ahmed who had armed himself with details about the state of the economy said the government recorded 71 per cent implementation of 2017 budget with modest achievements in key sectors despite the economic challenges.
Governor Ahmed explained that the 2018 budget proposal is formulated using the zero-based budgeting approach and its projections were based on the Federal Government’s adopted assumptions of oil price benchmark of $45 per barrel and oil production estimate of two point three million barrels per day.
Evaluating the performance of the outgoing 2018 fiscal year, the Kwara State Commissioner of Planning and Economic Development, Wasiu Odewale said out of N3.3 billion allocated for capital expenditure, N1.2 billion was actually expended as at August ending, making about 56 per cent performance.
He noted that the 2018 appropriation recorded an aggregate of 61 per cent performance in both capita and recurrent expenditure interms of financial statements which perhaps will not translates to fiscal statements.
“In the public order and safety sector, about N220.5 millions was budgeted, and as at August, 2018, N50 millions was expended, making a 34 per cent activeness”.
In the economic affairs sector, which has Ministry of Works, Commerce, Finance, Economic Planning and Ministry of Information under it’s purveiw, N44.9 billion was allocated with #7.5billion expended as at the tail of Q3 making a 25 per cent performance in the sector.
Ministry of environmental protection has #53 million allocation with only 5 per cent implementation. Housing and community amenities gulp #1.4 million in allocation as N787.9 millions was expended aggregating a 79 per cent budget performance.
The Kwara State Ministry of Health has N19.1 billion, with N11.1 billions incurred, an 87 per cent budgetary performance .
Recreation, culture and the religion sector has N669.1 millions, N35.8 millions expended , an 8 per cent.
Education sector has N7.18 billions in allocation, while N1.06 billions spent, making it a 22 per cent performance.
The ministry of women affairs was allocated N136.1milliions with N25.8 millions expended making 28 per cent performance.
So, out of N77.7 billions allocated for capital expenditure, only N21.97 billions incurred, making it a 42 per cent performance.
“For the whole total budget size, we have about N156 billions approved, then N63.1 billions has been expended for both the capita and recurrent expenditure, making it 61 per cent performance.”
The recurrent expenditure on debt servicing has N7.6 billions allocation, 4.85 billions expended which has 95 per cent.
Recurrent not debt which includes : personnel cost, statutory office holder salaries, pensions and gratuities, overhead cost, bail out for local government and state support grant has N70.6 billions with N36.2 billions expended as at August, 2018, a 77 per cent performance.
