Victor EzejaAnambra State Commissioner for Budget & Economic Planning, Ms Chiamaka Nnake has stated that the N258.9 billion Anambra Budget for 2023 will focus on key deliverable projects that the citizens can feel, touch and experience.
Ms Nnake made this known during a breakdown of the 2023 budget at government house, Awka.
Prime Business Africa reports that the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo had presented the 2023 budget estimate before the House of Assembly on Thursday, November 10, 2022.
Presenting the document tagged “Budget of Acceleration”, Governor Soludo highlighted the challenges facing the state which have been compounded by the recent national emergency caused by unprecedented flooding that destroyed lives, properties and displaced many of the citizens.
While informing members of the Assembly that the N100 billion loan approved for his government had not been secured yet, Soludo urged residents to pay taxes to enable the government to fix the state.
“We expect the rich and the middle class everywhere to pay their fair share,” the governor said concerning the 2023 Anambra Budget.
The Commissioner for Budget & Economic Planning, Ms Chiamaka Nnake gave a detailed explanation of the 2023 budget for the state.
According to a statement by the Press Secretary to the governor, Christian Aburime, Ms Nnake who was in company of Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu, stressed that payment of taxes and performance of other civic duties were key to financing and moving the economy of the state forward.
She said the 2023 proposed budget is at a sum of two hundred and fifty-eight billion nine hundred eighty-four million eight hundred and seventy-five thousand and nine hundred and five naira (N258,984,875,905) approximately at N259 billion.
The Budget when compared to the revised 2022 budget of N169.6 billion, increased by 52.7 percent.
According to Nnake, the capital expenditure increased by 51.1 percent from N108.2 billion in the 2022 revised budget to N163.5 billion, while the recurrent expenditure increased by 55.6 percent from N61.4 billion to N95.5 billion in the 2023 proposed estimate.
The capital expenditure accounts for 63.1 percent of the budget size while the recurrent accounts for 36.9 percent of the budget size.
She said key infrastructural projects account for 55.4 percent of the capital expenditure and 35 percent of the entire budget size.
The composition of recurrent budget includes: salaries (21.6 percent) of the recurrent expenditure, social benefits (15.2 percent), overhead (30.5 percent), loan repayment (17.5 percent) among others.
Sectorial allocation covers four broad sectors which includes the administrative sector, economic sector, law & justice sector, social sector.
The capital expenditure within the administrative sector accounts for 6.8 percent of the capital budget. The economic sector accounts for 72.5 percent Law and justice sector 2.1 percent while the social sector accounts for 15.2 percent of the capital budget size.
Legal outreach and mass mobilization of ndi Anambra delivered by Ministry of Information has a budget of N200 million.
Key Deliverables to MDAs
On the key deliverables for 2023 Ministries, Departments and Agencies key projects, she explained that in the Ministry of Culture, Entertainment and Industry, N7.5 billion has been budgeted for the Leisure park project.
Under the Ministry of Education, N8.4 billion has been slated for revamping the educational system which is an increase of N6.2 billion from the N2.2 billion in the 2022 budget, while N6.2 billion was budgeted for the Ministry of Health.
The commissioner said the Ministry of Works has a budget of N2 billion, specifically for the site design, preparation of industrial city and Export Processing Zone, adding that completion of ongoing road projects and construction of new ones is budgeted at N70 billion. N2.5 billion she said, was budgeted for urban regeneration for Anambra. The project shall come up with iconic designs, road mapping and giving the state a facelift.
Ministry of Youths has two key projects: the development of Anambra innovation and business district, budgeted at N1 billion and Youth innovation and empowerment program, N2.5 billion. Sports development is budgeted at N1.5 billion.
“Women Affairs shall have a solution based cooperative for economic empowerment budgeted at N1.5 billion.
“For Housing projects; Government House, Government Lodge and Commissioners Quarters budgeted at N4.5 billion.”
In improving the transport infrastructure, Nnake said the State Government has set apart N2.9 billion for revamping the sector by providing boats (for water transport) and buses for mass transit.
In sustaining security, she said N500 million has been budgeted for procurement of security gadgets and armored personnel carrier, while of N1.5 billion was slated for oil palm and coconut seedlings to boost agricultural activities.
She added that government will take N500 million as 5 percent derivation for Special intervention projects targeted at oil producing communities.
To provide efficient power supply in the state, N5 billion was budgeted for the power project in 2023, while N2 billion would be for revamping urban water scheme, N1 billion for desilting of drainages and N2 billion for Community Choose Your Project.
Other budgetary provisions according to the commissonoer include: Grants to Community Governance, N1.2 billion; Building and deploying a state owned data center, N720 million.
How the Budget will be funded
On how the Budget will be funded, the commissioner said it will be a combination of loan, Statutory Allocation from Federal Government, Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and Capital Receipts.
“There’s an approved loan of N100 billion expected to be granted to Anambra State Government before the end of this year.
“Statutory Allocation from Federal Government is N101 billion.
“IGR is N48 billion.
“Capital Receipts is N6.4 billion.
“Total revenue is N155.9 billion,” Nnake indicated.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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