The Bauchi State House of Assembly has passed into law, the State 2023 Appropriation Bil
DAILY POST reports that the House Committee on Budget and Appropriation on the 2023 proposed budget estimates earlier presented and adopted the report which was laid before the Assembly by the Chairman of the Committee, Abdulkadir Umar Dewu representing Kirfi Constituency.
The Committee, had, after rigorous and extensive scrutiny of the budget document and reports submitted by various committees, found that the sum of ₦202,641,558,614.46 is budgeted for the 2023 fiscal year, which is 2.5% higher than the 2022 Appropriation Law.
The Committee further explained that it had obtained the consolidated copies of the 2022 budget performances and revenue profiles which comprised statutory allocations, VAT, capital receipts and internally generated revenue from January to November 2022 from the Ministries of Budget and Economic Planning and Finance and Economic Development for guidance before the commencement of 2023 budget defence in respect of all MDAs in the State.
The Committee had also invited various MDAs for budget defence sessions for clarifications on grey areas as well as recommended that the Executive Arm should be urged to establish a Fiscal Responsibility Commission to ensure transparency, probity and accountability in terms of management of public funds by all MDAs in the State and considering the technical nature of the 2023 Budget document which is a paradigm shift from the previous approach.
It further recommended that the House should as a matter of urgency organize a series of training and workshops for all the chairmen, members and Secretaries of standing committees to enable them to understand the nitty-gritty of recent development pertaining budgetary system.
Having made holistic scrutiny of the entire 2023 proposed budget estimates, the Committee recommend that the House should consider and adopt the total sum of ₦202,641,558,614.46 only, of which the sum of ₦87,933,242,963.50 only, is for recurrent expenditure, representing 43% while the sum of ₦114, 708,315,650.97 only is for capital expenditure representing 57% as 2023 Appropriation Bill.
The House unanimously adopted the recommendations of the Committee while the Majority Leader Tijjani Muhammad Aliyu requested that the House allow the Bauchi State 2023 Appropriation Bill to undergo 3rd reading which was seconded by the Minority Leader, Hon. Bakoji Aliyu Bobbo.
Upon approval by members, the Speaker directed the Clerk of the House, Umar Yusuf Gital Esq to carry out the 3rd reading.
The Speaker commended the House Committee on Budget and Appropriation under the leadership of Abdulkadir Umar Dewu representing Kirfi Constituency and all the Standing Committees of the House for doing a remarkable job in scrutinizing and carrying out all legislative processes, thoroughly, within the timeframe given.
Meanwhile, the Majority Leader of the House, Tijjani Muhammad Aliyu representing Azare/Madangala Constituency) raised a debate on a Bill for a Law to establish Bauchi State Border Communities Development Agency.
He explained that the Bill which is submitted to the House by the Bauchi State Government, when passed into law, will significantly improve the lives of citizens of Bauchi State living at the border areas of the State.
The Majority Leader said Bauchi State shares boundaries with seven other states including Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Yobe, Plateau, Gombe and Taraba States, thus it’s worthy to note that Bauchi State has border disputes/issues with all the States it shares boundary with, except Kaduna State.
A National Border Areas Development Commission is essentially aimed at developing the international border areas and giving assistance to the Subnational Borders Development Agencies where they exist.
