The Taraba State government is to spend over 139 Billion Naira for both its recurrent and capital expenditure in the 2021 fiscal session.
A breakdown of the budget indicated that the government will spend a total of Eighty-two Billion, Nine Hundred and Ten Million, Forty-Eight Thousand, Six Hundred and Fifty Naira, Ninety Kobo (N82,910,048,650.90), being 59.4% of the proposed budget on recurrent expenditure, while capital estimate stood at Fifty Six Billion, Five Hundred and Fifty Million, Three Hundred and Eighty-Seven Thousand, Three Hundred and Ten Naira, Ninety Kobo (N56,550387310.90).
Taraba state governor, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku, while presenting the budget before the state House of Assembly in Jalingo at the weekend said the budget was a departure from the normal classification of seventeen programmes to only four major sectors.
According to him, the concentration on just four sectors was a deliberate plan by the government not only to focus attention on these core areas of development, but it was also informed by the desire to conform with the International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS).
Giving an insight into what to expect in the coming year, the governor said under recurrent, personnel cost will consume Thirty-Four Billion, Three Hundred and Seven Million, Six Hundred and Seventy-Nine Thousand, Eight Hundred and Forty-Nine Naira (N34,307,679,849.00).
Others included the overhead cost of Twenty Eight Billion, Two Hundred and Twenty Nine Million, Three Hundred and Eighteen Thousand, Five Hundred and Ten Naira Ninety Kobo (N28,229,318,510.90) and Consolidated Revenue Charges of Twenty Billion, Three Hundred and Seventy-Three Million, Fifty Thousand, Two Hundred and Ninety One Naira only.
On the capital estimate side, the thrust of the budget would concentrate on the economy, social, regional and administration.
He further said that his administration will spend Thirty Billion, Sixty Five Million, Nine Hundred and Eighty-Eight Naira, Eighty Kobo (N30,065,956,888.80) being 21.56% on the economic sector, while the social sector will gulp Fourteen Billion, Nine Hundred and Forty-Six Million, Three Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Two Hundred and Fifty-One Naira, Thirty Kobo (N14,946,330,251.30) standing at 10.72%.
According to the governor, administration and regional costs will also take Five Billion, Six Hundred and Fifty-Three Million, Eight Hundred and Ninety-Six Thousand, Eight Hundred and Three Naira, Ten Kobo (5,653,896,803.10) 4.05% and Five Billion, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Four Million, Two Hundred and Three Thousand, Three Hundred and Sixty Seven Naira, Seventy Kobo (N5,884,203,367.70) being 4.22% respectively.
As part of the strategies to ensure proper implementation of the budget, the governor said all Ministries, Departments and Agencies must maintain discipline in the execution of their approved estimates, enhance review and monitoring of the physical performance of all capital projects, patronage of the government printing press and the creation of the state economic council.
