FG Assures On 2011 Budget Implementation

The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability in the spending of the nation’s resources within the scope of a performance based budgeting as espoused in the 2011 appropriation bill presented by the President to the National Assembly.

Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Professor Precious Kassey Garba said in an interactive session with Journalists in her office in Abuja while answering questions on how the budget would achieve some level of prudence and integrity in its implementation said an effective monitoring mechanism of the use of resources given to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA’s) to implement projects set out within the plan and vision of the budget would be put in place.

The Chief   Economic Adviser   stated that in order to check wasteful spending, monies would only be released to the Units   i.e.  MDA based on visible achievement s of executed projects within the time frame specified within the budget. In addition, there is a concerted effort by government to eliminate duplication of functions amongst government agencies and parastatals with a view to streamlining them. According to Professor Garba,   committees have been set up to achieve this objective.

Besides prioritization of spending for programmes set out within the 2011 budget,   the administration,   she pointed out,   is committed to completing on-going federal projects and desist from the practice of abandoning projects.

Speaking on efforts of government to address the imbalance between recurrent and capital expenditure, Professor  Garba  disclosed that an expenditure monitoring committee has been set up to study components of the recurrent expenditure with a view to reversing the present trend. The importance of capital expenditure, she stated, cannot be overemphasized for a country that needs to build its infrastructure for rapid   industrial   growth.

During the interactive session, the   Chief Economic Adviser further maintained that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan is committed to achieving its targets and aspirations for the Millennium Development Goals by encouraging industrialization and providing a better business environment for the real sector. To this end, Prof. Garba  said  the federal government has taken pro-active steps to grow the industrial sector, stressing that it has  initiated a  local content policy which  has positive implications for generating employment, new product development as well as in consuming locally made products.

Former Rivers State Deputy Governor, Sir Gabriel Toby with wife, Christy (middle), and State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, during a special family thanksgiving service in honour of his wife at St. Nicholas (Anglican) Church, Woji, Tuesday. Photo: Chris Monyanaga