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Audio Budget

2020 Budget: FG releases N280bn for capital projects, $220m for railway projects



The federal government has so far released N285 billion to some agencies for capital projects captured in the 2020 budget and another $220 million as counterpart fund for railway projects in the country.


Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, made this known when she fielded questions from State House Correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister, who was in the State House in the company of members of the Presidential Committee on the impact of COVID 19 on Nigeria’s economy, updated the president on the activities of the committee.
She listed the Ministries of Education, Health, Transport, Works and Housing and the Niger-Delta as beneficiaries of the N285billion capital fund.
The minister said government prioritised agencies handling critical infrastructure projects as beneficiaries of the first tranche of releases.
“As at Tuesday this week, we have released N285 billion to a number of agencies. We prioritised the releases to the critical infrastructure agencies.
“We also made releases to education as well as health so the ministries of transport, works and housing, Niger-Delta; a number of ministries and agencies that have important infrastructure projects have got their funds,’’ she added.
The minister further disclosed that $220 million has so far been released as counterpart funding for railway projects in the country.
“Also this week, we have been able to release to the Ministry of Transport the counterpart funding provided for in our budget that is required for the important railway projects that are currently ongoing, with financing form the China-Exim Bank so there are funds that have been released this week.
“In addition to the N285 billion there is up to about 220 million dollars that has been released for railway projects,” she said.
NAN


Source : https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/381737-2020-budget-fg-releases-n280bn-for-capital-projects-220m-for-railway-projects.html

COVID-19: FG releases N285b for 2020 capital budget


By Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja


The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, on Friday revealed that about N285 billion has been released in the 2020 budget for capital projects.

The Minister spoke to State House Correspondents after the Presidential Committee on the review of the impact of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) on the economy submitted its interim report to President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

The Minister addressed the press corps alongside three other members of the committee – Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Mele Kyari.



Ahmed also revealed that Nigeria had released a total of $220 million as Nigeria’s part of the counterpart funding for railway projects to China EXIM Bank.

She said further the committee had been mandated to ensure that the business of government continues despite the effect of the disease to the economy, adding that the government would prioritise its spending.

“This committee that has been set up by the President to review the impact of COVID-19 as well as the crash of crude oil price has gone just now and had a short meeting with the President in which we filed an interim report and the President has directed that we should consult and come back to him with an update next week.

“What we have been mandated to do is to ensure that the business of government continues to run as much as possible normally, that government agencies are funded but there must be continuous investments in critical infrastructure that would ensure continuous growth and also concentrate on programmes and projects that will enhance employment of our people.

Read Also: COVID 19: We’ve no reason to stop national sports festival – FG
“We are looking at ways and means in which the revenue of government will be stabilized and that we are able to fund the states through the FAAC process at a level that is averagely expected and planned for both the federal as well as the National budget.


“So as we finish our consultations next week, we will be expecting some approvals and then we will be meeting with you to inform you of the specific approvals that we have been able to obtain from His Excellency the President.

“So as at Tuesday this week, we have released N285 billion to a number of agencies, we prioritize the releases to the critical infrastructure agencies. But we have also made the releases for education as well as health. So the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Works and Housing, Niger Delta, a number of ministries and agencies that have important infrastructure projects have got their funds.

“Also this week we have been able to release to the Ministry of Transport the counterpart funding provided for in our budget that is required for the important railway projects that are currently ongoing, the finances from the China EXIM Bank.

” So they are the funds that have been released this week. So in addition to the N285 billion, there is up to about $220 million that has been released this week for counterpart funding for railway projects,” she said.

Sylva said the federal government had begun consultations with relevant stakeholders on a possible reduction of the pump price of petrol in the wake of the crash of crude oil prices.

He however clarified that no decision had been made to cut the pump price, saying that consultations were on.

“We are still consulting, we are still following it closely. Of course, usually, the product prices follow the crude oil price but we are still consulting. We will get back to you, please, be patient,” he stated.

Emefiele said the rise in exchange rate that had been observed in the wake of COVID-19 was the work of some people he tagged as unscrupulous elements, who were taking advantage of the situation to case panic.

He however assured that all necessary steps were being taken to put the activities of those behind the artificial panic to check, noting that there were no indices that could lead to an escalation of FOREX market.

“On the issue of the spike in the rate at the Bureau de Change (BDC) segment of the market, let me say that some of you might have read about the release by the central bank of Nigeria yesterday (Thursday) evening and our assessment of what has happened is that, this is the activities of some unscrupulous speculators who thought they could take advantage of what is happening to begin to speculate on the currency.

“I am saying it is speculative because if you imagine that manufacturing firms where we are even importing our raw materials whether they are in China, Europe or South Korea where you need electronic, all those plants have been shut down. So where is the demand for forex coming from? Airlines have shut down, people are not travelling, most of the airlines have no passengers, so where is the demand for foreign exchange coming from?

“This is just the activities of some scrupulous individuals and we are determine to find them and when we find them, we will use them as scapegoats so that this kind of thing doesn’t happen again,” he said

SOURCE :https://thenationonlineng.net/covid-19-fg-releases-n285b-for-2020-capital-budget/

Coronavirus till takeover



More Money to WHO or whoever find the cure ..

World economic is on the downturns RN...

Fear Corona Virus oh

Mmm

River Niger and Benue just dey like dele

Mmmm

So on a NORMAL DAY he rake-in 1Trillion Naira abi ...

Issokay

One chancing

Power by fire by force

May the best team wins

Dipa life

Depends on your budget

Audio Ghost workers u min ??




Too many bad secret in this Kon3

: Nawaao

This Kon3 wahala tu much

Touts

NawaaoOoo..

It's well

Time for some ass licking