By Ahmad Umar:
Gombe State House of Assembly, North East of the country has passed into law the 2019 Appropriation Bill of over One Hundred and Twenty Two point Four billion Naira as against One Hundred and Eighteen point Seven Billion presented to it.
This shows an increase of over three point Seven billion Naira by the legislature.
The passage followed the adoption of recommendation contained in the report of the House Committee on Appropriation presented on the floor of the House.
Presenting the report, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Solomon Philip Jisimah said the Budget is made up of a Capital Expenditure of Sixty Billion, Nine Hundred and Thirty Six Million, Three Hundred and Sixty One Thousand , Five Hundred and Eighty Three Naira, while Sixty One Billion, Five Hundred and Fifty Three Million, Two Hundred and Fourty Seven Thousand, Two Hundred and Eight Naira goes for recurrent.
He added that, the Budget will be funded with Recurrent Receipts of Seventy Nine Billion Two Hundred and Eighty Four Million One Hundred and Fourty Seven Thousand, and Capital Receipts of Sixty Four Billion Nine Hundred and Eighty Million Eight Hundred and Ninety Nine Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety Two Naira .
This is with a deficit of Seventeen Billion Six Hundred and Five Million Four Hundred and Sixty One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety One Naira.
The Chairman explained that the Deficit will be financed by internal and external Loans
Giving the sectorial allocation of the Capital Expenditure, Mr. Philip Jisimah said the Economic Sector has the highest allocation of Thirty Three Billion One Hundred and Forty Three Million Two Hundred and Fifty Four Thousand Five Hundred and Forty Five Naira, followed by Social Sector with Twenty Two Billion Four Hundred and Sixty Eight Million Thirty Five Thousand Thirty Eight Naira, while Administrative Sector, and Law and Justice have Three Billion Five Hundred and Ninety Four Million Twenty Thousand, and One Billion Seven Hundred and Thirty One Million Fifty Two Thousand Naira respectively.
After thorough debate, the House approved the Budget size and the sectorial allocation.
The House also approved the recommendations of the Committee that Gombe State Government should fully adapt the National Health Insurance Scheme and establish State Health Insurance Agency and that a budget line be created for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Capital Expenditure.
Speaking shortly after the passage of the Budget, the Speaker, Alhaji Nasiru Abubakar Nono commended the Appropriation Committee for presenting an articulate report that guided the House in taking informed decision calling on the Executive to ensure the effective implementation of the budget as approved by the House.
He also called on standing Committees of the House to maintain the spirit of diligent oversighting on MDAs under their purview to achieve appreciable performance in the implementation of the 2019 Budget.
The House also passed into Law the Bill to Provide for the Establishment of Gombe State and Local Government Councils Contributory Pension Scheme.
