Amosun presents N200.27bn 2016 budget to Ogun Assembly

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Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun on Tuesday presented a budget proposal of N200.27 billion for 2016 to the Ogun House of Assembly.

Christened “Budget of Optimisation’’, Amosun said the 2016 figure represented a moderate reduction of 4.79 per cent compared to N210.35 billion budget for 2015.

The governor said that the 2016 budget reflected the government’s resolve to minimise costs and maximise capacity to generate revenues.

He said N99.29 billion was earmarked for capital expenditure, which represented 49.6 per cent, while N100.98 billion would be for recurrent expenditure.

The governor said the expected revenue from both IGR and Federation account was N150 billion, representing 74.90 per cent.

He said external loans would be N40.2 billion, while grants would be N10 billion, adding that the budget would be funded through Internally Generated Revenue

He said the education sector had the lion share of N40.170 billion and was followed by rural and infrastructure development with N31.04 billion.

The governor said affordable housing and urban renewal would gulp N26.56 billion, health care delivery N14.34 billion and agricultural production/industrialisation N10.16 billion.

“We placed great emphasis on capital expenditure during our first term in line with our development objectives.

“Our emphasis has now shifted a little and the budget this year is balanced between capital and recurrent expenditure,”he said.

The governor assured the legislators that his administration would complete most of the ongoing road constructions across the state by 2016 and also complete all projects before the end of the administration.

“We will complete most of the ongoing road constructions and other projects by 2016 and I also assure the people that we will complete all the projects we embarked upon before the expiration of our tenure,”he said.

The governor also promised that he would not be part of any meeting that would stop the payment of N18,000 minimum wage, saying that he would not stop in his efforts of making lives easy for his people.

The Speaker, Mr Suraj Adekunbi, said the budget would be carefully scrutinised to meet the expectations of the people.

“We will scrutinise it and give it prompt and comprehensive attention,” he said.

Adekunbi said the Assembly was able to pass six bills and nine resolutions during the 2015 fiscal year, saying that the legislature would continue to support the government through passage of relevant bills and resolutions.

He said that the legislature had ensured that funds appropriated in the 2015 budget would be expended on projects for which they were meant through its oversight on various Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

He said that the House was putting machinery in motion to commence mediation on various issues and petitions brought before it in the 8th Assembly.

Source: TheGuardian