Despite Delta State government repayment of N160.3 billion, about 25.3 percent of the entire debt owed, the state’s debt is currently at N303billion.
Delta State Commissioner for Economy Planning, Sonny Ekedayen, disclosed this while speaking with The Guardian in his office in Asaba at the weekend.
Ekedayen said the State is known to be one of the highly indebted States in the country, with about N465.3 billion debts, within a year repaid N160.9 billion about 25.3 percent of the entire debt as of June 30, this year.
“Now we have about N303 billion debts and all these payments were made without recourse to any form of borrowing,” he said.
“This is because governor, Sherrill Oborevweri, is very conscious about any government money.”
On the revenue base of the State, the Commissioner said the government had diversified the revenue resources by targeting to increase the internal revenue service of N 83 billion to N140 billion yearly.
According to him, “Any government that wants to secure the future and his people, needs to take concrete steps to diversify the revenue resources, and as we speak, we are looking at hitting N140 billion yearly.
The Commissioner also said there was no cause for alarm as far as the issue of 70 percent is concerned, saying the state was waiting for the chart from the Federal government to implement the new percentage minimum wage in the State.
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“We are ready to pay because Provisions for the new minimum wage was made in the budget as early as late last year, and a committee to harmonize and look at the the issue has also been set up. So, we are waiting for Federal government charts to kick off,” he said.
Ekedayen disclosed that the governor was poised to boost food production in the state, hence he is giving grants and support to farmers without being biased.
He said over 5000 Delta residents have been empowered with supported by a World Bank Assisted programme.
According to him, about 208,29 persons have benefited from the grants in Agriculture and other businesses in fish, pottery, cassava, maize, and vegetable farmers.
