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By Olamilekan Jaji
The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has assured that the state will perform up to 85% of her budget before the end of 2021.
The governor also disclosed that his administration is working towards having a realistic and achievable Budget that would bring dividends of democracy and create more prosperity to the people.
Prince Abiodun made this known at a Treasury Board Meeting on Year 2022-2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and 2022 Budget, at the Obas Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
He noted that it is imperative that the government strengthen and allocate resources to ensure that its policies, projects and programmes have the desired and optimum impact on the people.
"That essentially is why we are all here today; Ministries, Departments and Agencies to chart an action plan for the successful implementation of our policies and programmes in the coming year.
"Year 2022 offers a hope of full recovery from the impact of COVID-19 pandemic with great expectations of increased economic activities. It is the last full year budget before the general elections in the year 2023. All hands must be on deck in our development planning process, to enable us evaluate our achievements in the outgoing year and determine new approaches for the success of Year 2022 Budget implementation.
He noted that it was important to be conscious of a vibrant Budget performance, through revenue generation which would also indicate where to get the funds, policies and approaches, to avoid heavy deficit, adding that government has been creative in maintaining the delicate balance between wants and needs, so as not to overburden the people in the course of generating revenue.
Speaking on measures to speed up the Budget, the Governor said Ministries, Departments and Agencies proposals would be collated by the end of the month, while Executive Council would approve it for presentation to the State House of Assembly, expressing optimism that the needful would be done by the House for its passage and signing into law by mid-December this year.
In his welcome address, the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr. Olaolu Olabimtan, said stakeholders’ meetings which confirmed with the global best practices was involved in arriving at inputs that form the Budget, adding that the State, in 2019, produced the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), Medium Revenue Strategy and preparing for the third edition of MTEF.
He said the State's MTEF is being considered by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, as a model for other states in the region, urging government agencies to redouble their efforts in revenue generation, as government’s task is to deliver good governance and accountable to the people.
In his remarks, Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser, Mr. Dapo Okubadejo, noted that the budget estimate would not be completed without the contributions of MDAs, adding that the State Land Administration and Revenue Management System, OLARMS, has recorded 1,500 applicants since it was launched, charging the operators of the scheme to ensure that the State gets value from the Programme.