The Taraba State House of Assembly has given the nod for an increase of N2 billion to the 2024 appropriation bill.
Governor Agbu Kefas had initially proposed an appropriation bill of N311,388,525,662.96k last week. However, expressing dissatisfaction with this figure, the assembly members, as reported by DAILY POST, opted to supplement the budget with an additional N2 billion.
The Finance and Appropriation Committee Chairman, Abdul-Azeez Titong, announced this increment during a session on Friday at the state House of Assembly. Titong stressed that the adjustment aimed to accommodate essential projects aligned with the government’s development agenda.
He emphasized, “The initial budget size was adjust from N311,388,525,661.56k to N313,388,525,661.56k to include projects vital for the development agenda.”
The committee also noted that the 2024 budget estimate surpassed the approved 2023 budget and recommended the best practice of quarterly fund releases to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Furthermore, the committee urged the government to address revenue leakages, advocating for a streamlined process to ensure all collected revenues are appropriately deposited into government accounts for transparency.
Following these observations and recommendations, the adjusted budget swiftly passed into law. Speaker Bonzina John Kizito hailed the move as a proactive step by the Taraba State Assembly to meet developmental needs and align the budget with strategic priorities.
