Nasarawa, Katsina propose N112.9b, N282b for 2021

Governor Abdullahi Sule has presented a budget proposal of N112.9 billion to Nasarawa State House of Assembly for 2021.

The document is N4.4 billion higher than the 2020 revised appropriation bill of N108.4 billion.

The 2021 fiscal document is entitled “Budget of Economic Recuperation.”

The governor said: “The budget is so christened because in our considered opinion, it is a budget of economic recovery and revitalisation, targeted at addressing some of the negative economic challenges encountered in the fiscal year 2020.”

While recurrent expenditure gets N51.050, 456, 817, representing 45.21 per cent, N54, 854,985, 695, standing for 48.58 per cent of the total budget, went to capital expenditure.

Infrastructure gulps the largest chunk of N19.6 billion (17.36 per cent), just as education/science and ICT take N35.4 billion (31.35 per cent)

Governance, Security and General Administration got N14.3 billion allocation (12.66 per cent).

IN the same vein, Governor Aminu Masari, yesterday, tendered a 2021 appropriation bill of N282.78 billion before the Katsina State House of Assembly for consideration.

He told the lawmakers that the “Budget of Recovery and Consolidation” was N101.1 billion better than the N179 billion fiscal document of the outgoing year.

The governor said the proposal was “designed to complete ongoing projects and initiate other capital projects that can be completed within the life of this administration.”

According to him, N196.1 billion, representing 79 per cent of the total, is for capital expenditure, while N86.4 billion goes for recurrent.

Masari clarified that 48 per cent of the capital vote or N135.9 billion was for the economy, as social and administrative sectors are benefitting N104.1 billion (36 per cent) and N38 billion (13.4 per cent).

Under recurrent, personnel got N30.6 billion (35 per cent), overhead, N42.8 billion (49.6 per cent) and N12.9 billion (15 percent) went to consolidated revenue charges.

He added: “Total amount projected to finance the budget is N172.2 billion, comprising N57.1 billion as Internally Generated Revenue from the Board of Internal Revenue, MDAs and balance of the 2020 budget.

“Revenue expected from the federation account to finance the budget is estimated at N115 billion.”

The Speaker, Tasiu Maigari, pledged speedy passage, even as he urged cooperation during the legislature’s budget defence sessions.