Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda has presented an appropriation bill of N137, 342, 108, 137 billion to the State House of Assembly for approval as the 2013 budget.
Making the presentation yesterday, the governor explained that the sum was for both capital and recurrent services during the new fiscal year: N63, 348, 292, 151 for recurrent expenditure and N73, 993, 816, 176 billion for capital spending.
He said that the budget? expected to be funded from the statutory allocation and internal revenues respectively would be allocate more to the key ministries of works and transport, education, agriculture, health, water and poverty alleviation.
Yuguda stated that the government would in the 2013 fiscal year concentrate on the completion of ongoing projects such as the Bauchi State International airport, roads, renovation of schools and hospitals. He also stressed that new projects and programmes would be embarked upon only where they become absolutely necessary and the resultant effect would have direct bearing on the economy and lives of the people of the state.
?The breakdown of the Governor’s budget shows that the ministry of works and transport got the biggest amount of N6, 199, 759, 376, followed by the office of the Secretary to the State Government [SSG] that has N5, 601, 000, 000 and education ministry which was allocated the sum of N5, 66,347,686.
Responding, the speaker of the Assembly, Hon Yahaya Miya, assured the governor that the lawmakers would deliberate on the proposed budget and ensure its speedy passage into law.
The speaker, however, said that all Ministry and Departments must come before the House to depend their allocation so as to ensure judicious utilisation of public funds.?
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