Nasarawa Assembly Passes 2016 Budget Into Law, Removes Karu Area Planning, Development Authority, Nasarawa State University Road Project from 2016 Budget
Rabiu Omaku
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly (today) Wednesday, 20/04/2016 removed the Karu Area,Planning, Development Authority from 2016 appropriation, that was among the ten recommendations of the committee on appropriation.
The proposed road network to be constructed at Nasarawa State University was also removed from the budget.
The House also revealed that the 2015 budget performance was poor; it stated that out of N107, 905,191,045 only N50, 092,823,406.30 was released.
The lawmakers revealed that N50, 092,823,406.30 which was released as at December represent 46.42% of the total expected revenue for the year 2015 shows that the 2016 budget performance was low.
While giving the details of the review of the 2015 budget, the Speaker maintained that fund appropriated for capital expenses were not released to ministries, agencies, boards and parastatals. The Speaker’s speech uncovered that there was a gross violation of the Nasarawa State Financial regulation Law section 615,618 as noticed in the 2015 budget.
The Assembly also revealed that the 2015 budget witnessed over spending in most economic codes of most ministries, agencies,board, parastatals without virement.
The Assembly also raised alarm over the instability in the Internally Generated Revenue and lack of central collection centre for revenue collected as a major loophole for unaccountable and embezzlement of revenue ought to be earned as IGR.
1.The committee recommended for the transfer of N960,000 of economic code 2303109 which is projected for constituency under capital expenditure of the Ministry of Works to Nasarawa state House of Assembly and be properly captured as members community and social services.
- Karu Area Planning Development Authority be expunged from the 2016 approriation budget completely.
- The committee recommends that economic code 23020112 which is construction of road in Nasarawa state University Keffi be expunged from the capital budget of Urban Development Board,since the project was already completed and commissioned .
4.The committee recommends the transfer of One billion naira from economic code 2302012 to code 230201,All under ministry of Works.
5.The committee recommends the inclusion of Forty Three Million,Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N43,400,000) only as NASEMA’s proposed capital expenditure for 2016 estimate.
6.The committee recommends that the inclusion of Three Hundred Million naira (N300,000,000) only for public hearing under the recurrent expenditure of the House of Assembly.
7.The committee recommends that the state budget office should create economic code for the members community social services and public hearing under the recurrent expenditure of Nasarawa state House of Assembly and any other sub-head that may be recommended by this Hon.House.
The appropriation committee also recommended for the approval and passage into law the bill to authorize the issuance from the consolidated revenue fund of the state the total sum of N79,301,850,598 as recurrent expenditure only.
While N38,178,214,416 is for capital expenditure,this shows an approximate increase of 2% in the 2016 Fiscal Appropriation bill.
Basic Assumption of 2016 Budget
1.Opening balance——N1,781,000,000
2.Share of statutory allocation —–N30,000,000,000
3.Vat N10,000,000,000
4.Excess crude N250,000,000
5.Refund from NNPC N250,000,000
6.Exchange gain N2,500,000,000
7.Special allocation N3,500,000,000
8.IGR N8,920,336,000
9.Grants N6,237,911,510
10.Loan N16,000,000,000
11.Capital receipts N180,000,000 bringing the amount to a total sum of N79,619,247,510.
The committee made upward review in some vital areas of the 2016 estimate and recommended the upward review of the following;
(a) Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission-N200,000,000
(b) ministry of lands and Town planning-N13,000,000
(c) Women affairs-N103,000,000
(d) Health-N20,000,000
(e) Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital,Lafia-N18,000,000
(f) Urban Development-N200,000,000
(g) Education-N64,744,000
(h) House of Assembly-N712,661,221
(i) NASEMA-N45,889,000
(j) Assembly Service Commission-N5,596,578
(k) SSG’s Office-N12,44,000
(l) Government House-N3,018,000
Totaling N1,385,723,799
Observations
1.The committee observed that the capital expenditure of State Emergency Management Agency (NASEMA) was completely omitted from the 2016 budget.
2.We observe that members, community social services was wrongly placed under the Ministry of Works instead of the House of Assembly.
3.The committee observed that some ongoing project were not captured in the 2016 appropriation bill,Tudun Wada-Karshi road,under the ministry of Works.
4.There was no released of funds to ministries as approved in the 2015 budget especially capital expenditures.
5.Untimely submission of actual expenditure by ministries,agencies,boards and parastatals to the state budget office.
6.Some ministries ,agencies,boards and parastatals spent over and above what was actually approved in the 2015 budget.
7.The appropriation committee concur with the observation of the committee on Urban Development that Karu Area Planning Development Authority (KAPDA) was also captured in the 2016 budget ,having been replaced with Nasarawa State Urban Development Board.
The speaker of the House of Assembly appealed to the Governor to ensure the thorough performance of the 2016 budget,The speaker,Hon Ibrahim Balarabe passed a vote of confidence in the state Governor,Umaru Tanko Al-Makura
The speaker averred that the construction of roads in Nasarawa State University ,Keffi be expunged from the capital budget of Urban Development Board since the project was already completed and commissioned.
The speaker,Hon.Ibrahim Balarabe commended the state Governor,Umaru Tanko Al-Makura for his exemplary leadership style.
