The Kwara House of Assembly on Tuesday passed the N160.9 billion appropriation bill of the state.
The bill was passed at the plenary after the House Committe on Finance and Appropriation approved on the budget estimate.
The budget, which was presented by Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed on Dec.29, 2016, represents an increase of N25.6 billion or 18.9 per cent over the original proposed N135,264,529,461 estimate presented to the House by the governor.
The recurrent expenditure of the budget stands at N70.8 billion, while the capital expenditure is N90.1 billion.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that prior to the passage of the fiscal document, some amendments were made to the report of the Finance and Appropriation Committee.
Speaking after the passage of the budget, the Speaker, Dr Ali Ahmad, said the House jerked up the budget size above the figure tabled by the state governor to expedite action on some ongoing projects.
He said the legislature also resolved to shore up the budget estimates by increasing the funds allocated to some sectors, just it also appropriated funds to certain sectors that were not captured.
Ahmad, however, decried insinuations in some quarters that the legislature was padding the budget, saying there should not be any controversy when the legislative arm performed its primary functions.
“What we have just done is increase the total budget size by adding N25.6 billion or 18.9 per cent over and above the figure submitted by the executive,” the Speaker said.
Ahmad directed the Clerk of the House, Alhaji Mohammed Katsina, to produce a clean copy of the new budget for Governor Abdulfatah’s assent. (NAN)
BEKI/TA