By OLASUNKANMI AKONI & GBENGA AKANMU
IKEJA—Members of the Budget Appropriation Committees of Lagos State House of Assembly, yesterday, commenced process for the approval of  2012 budget as various ministries, parastatals and agencies in the state began their budget defence at the Assembly complex, Alausa, Ikeja.

Governor Babatunde Fashola had on November 14, presented N485.292 billion budget proposal to the assembly for consideration and subsequent approval.

The purpose of the budget defence, according to the lawmakers, is to justify public funds appropriated to ministries and agencies in the  budget, with a view to properly monitor implementation.

Similarly, the ministries, departments, parastatals and agencies, MDAs are expected to give details of how their 2011 budget had been expended during the exercise.

The exercise is also to cater for the needs of the citizenry and evaluate the performance of the ministries in accordance with financial rules and regulations.

Already, letters have been sent out by secretaries of each overseeing committee to the ministries, agencies and parastatals to appear before the budget committee on appointed dates.

They are expected to come with vital documents that would indicate revenue and expenditure, contracts awarded and those in consideration and monitors showing budget performance of each ministry, among others.

It will be recalled that the proposed 2012 budget exceeds 2011 revised budget by 7.66 per cent.

The 2012 budget proposal comprises N227.47 billion recurrent expenditure and N257.821 billion capital expenditure.

The capital to recurrent ratio of the budget is 53:47 as against the 56:44 in 2011.