Delta State Stipulates 2022 Budget At N469.4bn

The Delta State government has approved the 2022 budget proposal of N469.4 billion.

The state’s Commissioner for Economic Planning, Dr. Barry Pere-Gbe, disclosed this at a media briefing on Thursday in Asaba.

The Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, was also at the briefing.

Pere-Gbe said the approval was in line with the state’s fiscal responsibility law.

He said the state executive council arrived at the N469.4 billion after a thorough review of the initial N425 billion budget size earlier proposed by the ministry.

The commissioner revealed that the ministry had earlier proposed N425 billion in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/ FSP).

He said: “After a review of the indicative budget size, we were able to have a fairer view of what the budget size should look like.

“It was to a large extent, more than what we proposed in the MTEF and FSP.”

Pere-Gbe said the government also resolved to increase the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from the projected N75 billion to N80 billion in order to fund the budget.

The commissioner added: “We also increased our assumptions around the capital receipts and borrowings to sufficiently fund our expenditure side.

“The 2022 budget will be used to fund facilities in the new universities, facility procurement in the Ministry of Health, procurement and funding contract around the Ministry of Technical Education.

“We will be doing a whole lot around education generally (higher and basic) and also roads.

“We intend to complete the bridges that are yet to be completed especially the Ayokoromo bridge that his Excellency (Governor Ifeanyi Okowa) is so particular about.

“The government will sustain its jobs creation programmes and continue to create entrepreneurs in 2022.

“We are expanding the net around the girl-child programme and every other empowerment programmes.”