The Borno State Commissioner of finance, budget and economic planning,
Ahmed Lawan has said the 2021-2023 midterm framework has ‘better and
higher promises’ for enhanced revenue projections.
According to him, the three-year planning framework, has better
capacity to respond to citizens’ yearnings and aspirations.
Lawan disclosed this Thursday at a town hall meeting held at
Government House, Maiduguri.
He said the meeting was to interact with Stakeholders on the
fundamental issues of 2021 budgeting for state.
“This is one of the processes leading to the compilation of the draft
Budget,” he said; adding that it include a wide variety of aspirations
and genuine people’s needs.
He noted that the town meeting, is a clear demonstration of Governor
Babagana Zulum’s commitment to ensure next year’s budget addresses
various stakeholders’ expectations.
While lamenting on budget performances, he said: “Our aspirations in
the 2020 budget were largely compromised by the emergence of
coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic.
“Crude oil price crushed to undermine our Federation Account
Allocation revenue.”
He added that Value Added Tax (VAT) and other revenue sources, were
also affected by the economic meltdown caused by COVID-19.
He told the stakeholders that all the fiscal policy indices were
completely unturned to practically render revenue projections
unattainable.
According to him, the 2020 Budget projection of N146.89 billion was
however, revised to N108 billion.
He said the practical implication of this, was that a number of
projects and programmes suffered a lot implementation challenges.
“I therefore urge you to bear with Zulum’s administration, as it
reviews some of the affected projects for rollover to 2021,” he said,
noting that the meeting also provides an opportunity to package an
inclusive and participatory budget with citizen centered programmes.
Continued; “The expectations may be even higher this year, because of
the increased awareness of the citizenry and civil society
organisations,” noting that as they all participated in the budgeting
process.
He said that last year’s Town Hall meeting was attended by over 500
participants with a cross section of various stakeholders.
“The stakeholders have provided meaningful inputs that informed the
choice of projects in the 2020 budget,” said Lawan.
On budget implementations, he said: “The Department of Budget and
Planning will be responsible by ensuring that all budgetary processes
and procedures are strictly adhered to by Government Ministries,
Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Among the stakeholders at the meeting, include members of state
executive council (SEC), State House of Assembly, Chief Executive
Officers of MDAs.
The Borno state chapter of National Council of Women Society (NCWS),
who was represented by Yagana Alkali said: “We lost many of our
husbands, leaving behind tens of hundreds of orphans,” noting that the
orphans could go to school during the over a decade Boko Haram
insurgency.
He urged that women and their children, be included into the 2021
budget proposals.
“We needed to be empowered and become self-reliant, instead of
depending on food stamps and other humanitarian assistance,” she said.
While People Living with Disabilities (PLWD) led by Mohammed Abubakar
urged the State House of Assembly to pass the Disability Bill into
law.
Comrade Bulama Abiso of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), urged the
state government to strictly adhere to all budgetary provisions that
could impact more on people’s living conditions.
He noted that projects in this year’s budget, were driven by various
stakeholders and communities.
The Vice Chairman of Maiduguri branch of Nigerian Bar Association
(NBA), Yahaya Dunoma suggested that government should adopt strategies
and means of increased internally generated revenues (IGR).
