Ahmed presents N91.7bn budget to Kwara House



Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed yesterday presented his maiden 2012 budget proposal of N91.7billion to the State House of Assembly for consideration.

Presenting the budget proposal tagged, “Consolidation and Development” on the floor of the House on Monday, Governor Ahmed said the Appropriation reflects a sharp increase of about 42 per cent over the total budget size of N64.1 billion for 2011.

A breakdown of the budget proposal indicated that the sum of N47.9 billion was allocated for total recurrent revenue, N43.9 billion for total recurrent expenditure and N13.49 billion as total recurrent surplus which is to be transferred into the Capital Development Fund.

Proposed capital receipts and capital expenditure was each allocated the sum of N43.9 billion in the coming financial year, which according to him, makes the 2012 budget a balanced budget.

A breakdown of the sectoral analysis shows Road Development as having the lion share of N11.5 billion; Water Supply N2.7 billion; Education and Human Capital Development N8.5 billion; Health N3.8 billion; Agriculture N2.6 billion; Sports and Youth Development N255 million; Housing N1.3 billion and Information and Communications N443.9 million, among others.

The main objectives of the 2012 budget, according to Governor Ahmed, is to ensure expansion of the productive base of the State economy through increased agricultural and industrial production, development of new infrastructural facilities, job and wealth creation as well as systematic implementation of his administration’s 7-point agenda.

He disclosed further that the focus of the budget was to consolidate on the achievements of the last administration in order to ensure continuity in governance, adding that the budget sought to use the identified successes as the framework for the integrated development of the State on a sustainable basis.

Kinda small amount for such a 'big' State. So when are the dividends of the Saraki agric revolution going to reflect on the States balance sheet?