PHILIP EKE,YENAGOA
The Bayelsa State House of Assembly has passed the 2017 Appropriation Bill of 243.2 billion naira. The Bill has a revenue profile of over 191 billion from statutory allocation, 6.9 billion from VAT, 15.1 billion from independent revenue, over 8 billion from grants and 21.9billion from internal loan sources.
Expenditure profile has 52.1 billion naira for personnel cost, 41.3 billion for overhead cost, 65.4 billion for consolidated revenue fund charges while capital expenditure got 88.1 billion naira.
Speaker of the House, Mr. Konbowei Benson thanked members and staff for the speedy passage of the Bill. Mr. Benson enjoined the executive arm of Government to make judicious use of the funds appropriated for the good of the state.
He called on Bayelsans to always contribute meaningfully to the projects and programmes of government, promising to continue to work for the good of the people and never to abuse the privilege given to represent them.
In another development, the Chairman, House committee on Appropriation and Leader of the Bayelsa Assembly, Dr. Peter Akpe has scored the restoration government relatively high in terms of budget performance, adding that this was made possibly because of the fiscal discipline put in place.
Dr. Akpe made the commendation in his office at the Assembly Complex while speaking to newsmen shortly after the passage of the 2017 Appropriation Bill in to law.
According to him, the upward review of the budget is as a result of some omission in the estimate submitted to the Assembly, noting that they were addition for salary payment for staff of the Health Management Board, proposal for the development of infrastructure in the Niger Delta University and the payment of salaries of primary school teachers.
He explained that the Appropriation Bill was thoroughly scrutinized at the various subcommittees, saying that the Bill received wide range of public hearing and participation were the public was invited to make input.
The Leader of the House said that budget for this year was higher than that of last because the state operated a squeeze budget and that the House extended the time frame for the implementation of last year’s budget, stressing that with the current financial indices there is the hope that IGR will increase and will on the long run result in increased revenue profile so Hon Akpe added.
Also, the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State have equally signed the budget into law in Bayelsa state Government House. Stressing that the budget would be judiciously used to better the lives of Bayelsans.
