BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – The Bauchi State Government plans to spend about N213 billion as its budget for the 2021 fiscal year.
Governor Bala Abdulkadri Mohammed dropped the hints on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 while presenting the 2021 budget proposal to the State House of Assembly for consideration.
Tagged ‘Budget of Consolidation’, the 2021 budgetary estimates are N46 billion higher than the N167 billion “Budget of Renewal of Hope” approved for the 2020 fiscal year.
Governor Mohammed told the lawmakers that the N213,914,559,428 estimated comprise N93,197,307,970 billion for recurrent expenditure, representing 44 per cent and N120,717,251458 billion capital expenditure, representing 56 per cent of the total budget.
According to him, the budget is predicated on National assumption in relations to oil production; benchmark oil price; exchange rate of Naira to US dollar; as well as a robust and efficient system of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) collection.
The governor, who also explained that the budget will be financed by recurrent revenue estimates of N180 billion and capital receipts of N105 billion, admitted that a number of challenges were faced in the implementation of 2020 budget.
He said the development resulted in downward review of the budget to N129 billion due to dwindling revenue caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that stagnated the world economy in all its ramifications.
The Governor however said; “Despite these challenges, we were able to record moderate success in the implementation of the 2020 budget. Out of the budgeted revenue, including excess crude of 61 billion income, only the sum of 34 billion was realised as at September 30, 2020.
“In the same vein, Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue recorded low performance of N13 billion against the budgeted figure of N18 billion. This is a clear indication of budget performance in the midst of budget uncertainty and challenges. Independent revenue generation was also affected as only N13 billion was realised against the budgeted figure of N21 billion as at 30th September 2020”.
Speaking at the event, Speaker, Bauchi House of Assembly, Abubakar Y Suleiman said in discharging its function during the last legislative period, the House passed 20 bills and 40 resolutions; moved 44 motions and attended to 28 petitions.
He also said 16 Committee reports and 18 messages were received from the Governor, adding that for the first time in the history of the House, the Public Account Committee invited so many Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with regards to the Auditor General annual reports.
He pledged the Assembly’s resolve to do justice to the proposed 2021 budget as provided by law, adding that members will allow the budget to undergo second reading immediately and commit it to the Appropriation Committee for further legislative action.
