Amidst the Coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic, Niger State Executive
Council seeks to downsize the 2020 approved budget by 36 per cent.
The State Commissioner for Budget and Planning Commission, Alhaji Mamman
Musa disclosed this during post exco media briefing held at the
Government House, Minna.
Alhaji Musa said that the assented 2020 budget which stood at N155b
would have a new size of N98b when approved.
He said that they were being mindful of the recurrent expenditure which,
in the 2020 budget, stood at 70 Billion while the capital expenditure is
85 Billion…
According to him, when approved, the new budget will concentrate on only
projects that have attained 75 per cent completion, adding that new
projects would only be considered based on their necessity of demand.
Maman Musa added that overhead cost to Ministries, Agencies and
Departments (MDAs) have been reduced to 75 per cent as well as travel
expenses of government officials.
He said the downward review of the 2020 budget has become imperative due
to the global economic downturn caused as a result of the Coronavirus
pandemic.
The commissioner said that the 2020 budget was prepared with 90 per cent
of income projection coming from the statutory allocation hinged on the
oil sector with a benchmark of crude oil at $57 per barrel, complaining
that since the outbreak of the Coronavirus, the global oil prices
dropped below $30 per barrel which has drastically affected the 2020
budget, hence the need for the review.
The commissioner pointed out that the state government is already
looking inward towards enhancing its internally generated revenue to
cover some of the envisaged shortfall.