By Mick Oseji, Asaba with agency report
ASABA: Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State on Thursday presented a total budget of N936 billion for the 2025 fiscal year to the State House of Assembly.
Oborevwori presented the budget proposal Christened, ”Budget of Fiscal Consolidation’ to the State Assembly during its plenary in Asaba, the state capital.
“Mr Speaker, I present to you a budget proposal of N936 billion only to execute projects and programmes of government in 2025,” the Governor said.
He said that the budget comprises NN348.7 billion, representing 37.25 % of Recurrent Expenditure and the sum of N587 billion representing 62.75 per cent of the Capital Expenditure.
”The 2025 budget is N211 billion more than the 2024 approved sum of N725 billion, indicating an increase of 29 per cent.
”The increase was largely because of the realignment of the exchange rate, which resulted in higher Federal Allocation Account Committee (FAAC) allocations and associated revenues.
”This is in addition to a corresponding improvement in our Internally Generated Revenues in the year,” he said.
Oborevwori also said that the state government would focus on continued provision of physical infrastructure, human capital development, job creation, wealth creation, and poverty reduction in our dear state.
“The state government intends to achieve these through prudent management of our resources and prioritizing expenditures on health, education, agriculture, water resources, environment, housing as well as women and youth empowerment programmes.
“In 2025, we propose to spend N230 billion on road Infrastructure; N67.42 billion on Education; Health will gulp N30.55 billion; Water Resources N11.03 billion and Agriculture, N7 billion, ” he said.
The Governor appealed to the State House of Assembly for the speedy passage of the appropriation bill.
In his remarks, the Speaker, Mr Dennis Guwor, who commanded the initiative of Gov. Oborevwori, noted that the state had witnessed unprecedented development.
He also commended the governor for continuing and completing inherited projects from previous administration.
He lauded Oborevwori for his fiscal discipline, which he epitomised in returning over N500 million to the state coffers while serving as Speaker and for saving over N14 billion for local government councils across the state.
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Guwor, however, called on the governor to institutionalised pre-budget planning parley between the Executive and the Legislature to help balance priorities within available resources.
The speaker also urged all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government to cooperate with the Committees of the House during the budget defence sessions to ensure seamless consideration and timely passage of the budget.
Consequently, the Majority Leader, Mr Emeka Nwaobi moved a motion for the House to receive the appropriation bill and it was seconded by Mrs Marilyn Okowa-Daramola (PDP-Ika North East).
(NAN)
