…education, enterprise, health, roads top agenda
By Mumini Abdulkareem
The Kwara State Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, yesterday, presented a sum of N162 billion as the 2020 budget estimates before the state House of Assembly.
The budget tagged; “Budget of Reconstruction and Reformation” has 53 per cent capital expenditure while recurrent expenditure stands at 47 per cent of the total size.
The presentation of the budget which took a little over 10 minutes at the plenary is the first to be presented by Gov Abdulrazaq and was witnessed by his deputy, Mr Kayode Alabi, some members of the State Executive Council, traditional rulers and top government functionaries.
The Governor further explained that the budget estimate is contained in revenue projections and analysis targeted towards critical infrastructure and human capital development adding that the proposal is focusing on agricultural mechanisation, implementation of Social Investment Programme (SIP) to combat extreme poverty and support small scale businesses in the state.
He noted that development of education, health, culture and tourism, rehabilitation of sports facilities, rural and urban roads are also captured in the budget even as he appreciated residents of the state for giving him the opportunity to serve them.
He applauded the state House of Assembly for its support to the executive arm of the state since the inception of his administration in the last seven months.
“Basically, we are presenting a budget estimate of N162billion for 2020, up from N157bn budget of the outgoing year. For this year, we propose 47 per cent recurrent expenditure and 53 per cent capital expenditure in a deliberate attempt to invest in the future and grow the economy through critical infrastructure and human capital development. One unique thing is that this budget is having an opening balance of N7bn, or 4.3 per cent of the budget proposal, that we have saved in the past seven months,” the Governor said in a speech before the Assembly.
“Key highlights of the budget include construction of Kwara State innovation hub for information technology, large scale garment production factories, resuscitation of moribund industries, construction of new (urban and rural) roads, rehabilitation of public schools, capacity building for teachers for efficient service delivery, payment of UBEC contribution, rehabilitation of hospitals and health centres with provision of modern medical and laboratory equipment, payment of counterpart funds, and implementation of health insurance.
“We are also proposing construction of Ilorin Civic Centre (Ilorin Visual Art Centre), purchase of biometric finger prints and reader machines for e-auditing, commencement of e-Government, introduction of creative intervention fund for youth and graduates empowerment, provision of statewide irrigation scheme, agricultural mechanisation, commencement of the livestock transformation plan programme, and implementation of the Kwara State Social Investment Programme”, he added.
He also proposed the purchase of vehicle for political office holders and lawmakers in the state Assembly, rehabilitation of Squash Court rooms and other sporting facilities at Stadium Complex Ilorin, construction of a twin Squash Court, intervention in the state-owned media, and active promotion of culture and tourism.
The governor said there is a plan to widen the state’s tax base without imposing new tax on the people but through blocking of leakages.
“I also want to call on our compatriots that while we are ready to serve them to the best of our ability and within available resources, the situation of our state is such that all hands must be on deck to make all the necessary sacrifices and stay the course in our collective efforts to build a new Kwara that works for all.
“I call on us, leaders and the governed, to tighten our belts for the overall good of our state,” he added.
The Governor said the budget estimates are predicted on the national oil price benchmark of $57 per barrel; oil production estimate of 2.18m barrels per day; official exchange rate of N305 per US dollar; Gross Domestic rate of 2.93 percent; and inflation rate of 10.81 per cent.
He added that the budget estimates match the exact revenue projections for the state in the fiscal year, including N48,943,215,564, or 30.2 per cent of the total revenue; VAT receipt of N16,430,807,482, or 10.1 percent of the total revenue; other sundry revenue valued at N3, 838,863,505, or 2.3.percent of revenue; Internally Generated Revenue of N39, 783,008,301, or 24.5.percent of the revenue; income from other sundry internal sources valued at N193,322,646, or 0.1 percent; capital development fund/aid and grants put at N45,871, 444,487, or 28.3 percent; and an opening balance of N7bn, or 4.3 percent of the revenue projections.
In his remarks, the Speaker, Hon. Salihu Yakubu-Danladi assured the executive arm of accelerated passage and later announced that the budget had passed first reading. He later referred it to the House Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative actions.
Meanwhile, the Speaker in an interview with newsmen shortly after the financial document was laid, said the budget would be thoroughly scrutinised before the passage.
He said it was against the tradition of the state House of Assembly to pad budgets, assuring that the House would monitor the executive on implementation.
… prunes ministries to 16
By Mumini Abdulkareem
The Kwara State Government has pruned down the ministries in the state civil service to 16, from the 19 ministries inherited from the past administration, saying the measure was to cut cost and strengthen efficiency in service delivery to the people.
The state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Harriet Afolabi-Oshatimehin told a news briefing Wednesday that the State Executive Council ratified the merger of some ministries and creation of one other at its maiden meeting held just before the budget presentation by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.
Afolabi-Oshatimehin was joined at the briefing by her colleagues from the Health Ministry, Dr Raji Razaq and Tertiary Education, Mrs Sa’adatu Modibbo-Kawu.
She said “Today, 18th Dec., 2019, the inaugural council meeting of the State Executive Council took place. Council deliberated on the proposed 2020 appropriation bill. It was adopted for His Excellency’s presentation at the Kwara State House of Assembly. The second thing that was deliberated upon was the restructuring (merger) of some ministries and the creation of a new ministry”.
According to her, the old Ministry of Culture and Tourism has been collapsed into the Ministry of Information and Communications to form a wholesome Ministry of Communications, while the Ministry of Industry and Solid Mineral and the one of Commerce and Cooperative have been merged to become Ministry of Enterprise.
The old Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and Ministry of Finance are now Ministry of Finance and Planning, while the former Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has been collapsed into the Ministry of Works and Transport, she added.
Afolabi-Oshatimehin said the council also ratified the creation of the new Ministry of Special Duties.
The old Ministry of Environment and Forestry is now known simply as Ministry of Environment, while the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development is now to be known as Ministry of Social Development, she added, commending the Governor for walking his talk on women inclusion in governance.
She said the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Justice, Energy, Water Resources, Education and Human Capital Development, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Sports and Youths Development, Health, and Tertiary Education remain as they were before the new administration.
“What we are trying to do here is to ensure efficient service delivery and judicious allocation of resources to ensure that at the end of the day, we are able to improve the welfare of Kwarans. Now how do we go about this? Council agreed on the need to cut cost because a lot has to be done with limited resources,” she noted.
