By Bashir Bello

Kastina—Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State, yesterday, presented a N200.7 billion budget for 2019 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly.

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Governor Masari

According Governor Masari, the budget, tagged Budget of Stabilisation, was designed to stabilise the restoration plans and policies of the government, adding that it is lower than that of 2018 by N12.8 billion.

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According to him, “the budget is designed to stabilise restoration plans, programmes and policies of the present administration. The total sum is N200,741,960,745, with 73.7 percent capital expenditure and 26.3 percent recurrent expenditure.

“In aggregate terms, the 2019 budget is lower than that of 2018 by N12,894,812,633. It is important to note that the 2019 recurrent revenue has decreased by 17.7 percent over that of 2018 budget.

“Similarly, the recurrent expenditure in the 2019 budget has increased by one percent, which indicates that in real terms the revenue has decreased by about 18.7 percent over that of 2018 fiscal year.”

Restoration plans

The governor further noted that “the restoration plan of the present administration comprises of programmes, projects and policies to be implemented under education, health, water resources, agriculture, environment, works, housing and transport sectors.”

Breaking down the recurrent expenditure, the governor announced N22.9 billion as personnel cost; N16 billion, overhead and N13.7 billion as consolidated revenue charges.

He said the capital expenditure would receive N34.5 billion; social sector, N41.7 billion; regional development, N57.2 billion, and administration, N5.9 billion.

Masari said judiciary was allocated N984 million; legislature, N515 million; contingency, N1.5 billion and debt servicing, N5.7 billion.

Responding, Speaker, Alhaji Abubakar Yahaya, assured the governor that the House would scrutinise the budget and pass it speedily.