Katsina State Government reduces 2020 Budget

Katsina State Government has reviewed its 2020 budget from N244billion to N213billion due to the fall in the price of crude oil and the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Gov. Aminu Masari disclosed this when he received the reversed budget from the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Farouk Jobe at the Government House, Katsina on Thursday.

The governor, who signed the reversed budget, said that the Members of the state House of Assembly had deliberated before passing the bill.

“The House also decided to review the budget in view of the issue of COVID-19 pandemic, which had affected the state economically, socially and spiritually.

“In view of this, the members deliberated and passed the bill, which slashed the 2020 appropriation budget from N244 billion to N213 billion representing a difference of N31 billion.

“The budget was reviewed based on the oil benchmark of 30 dollars per barrel as against the pre-review benchmark of 57 dollars per barrel,” he said.

Masari urged stakeholders to redouble their effort in the fight against COVID-19 with a view to curbing the spread among communities in the state.

Earlier, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Alhaji Tasiu Maigari said that the house passed the bill for reversed budget in less than two weeks.