Orji Presents N134bn Budget For 2013

Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State on Tuesday
presented the 2013 budget of N134.14 billion to the State House of Assembly for
approval.

The  budget tagged
“Budget of hope” has an increase of N4.188 billion representing 3.2 per cent
over the 2012 budget of N129.96 billion.

According to him, it has a recurrent expenditure of
N67.82 billion and a capital expenditure of N 66.327billion,
respectively.

A breakdown of the recurrent expenditure showed that
personnel cost will gulp N24.386 billion as against 2012 figure of N23.881
billion.

The governor put the overhead costs of the budget at
N30.94 billion against the N26.74 billion in the 2012 budget.

Giving a breakdown of the capital expenditure, Orji said
that general administration got the highest allocation of N25.398 billion,
economic sector, N21.086 billion, regional development, N11.353 billion and
social services sector, N7.67 billion.

The State Assembly received N8.20 billion as capital
vote.

He added that the consolidated Revenue Fund Charge for
2013 was placed at N12.490 billion.

Orji said that the budget was crafted and packaged to
focus on the national economic situation.

“This is informed by our determination to positively
position this state on a better platform of economic recovery and sustainable
development.

“We will ensure steady and unhindered progress of the
state by focusing on the critical sectors of investment in physical
infrastructure, better health care delivery, Education, and improving
socio-economic services,’’ he said.

He added that the budget was a conscious arrangement for
a paradigm shift to capital project development.

The shift, he added, was to address the critical issues
in the Vision 20:20:20 and other development blue prints of the state.

He said that the state budget would continue to focus on
projects that directly impact positively on the people.

He explained that government was expected to earn N60
billion from FAAC, N5 billion from VAT and N10 billion from the derivation
fund.

Responding, the Speaker of the house, Mr Ude Okochukwu,
commended the governor for early presentation of the budget, noting that
lawmakers would meticulously look at it.

Okochukwu said that the lawmakers were happy with the
numerous landmark projects being handled by the state government.

He promised that the legislators would add more impetus
to the budget through their oversight function to ensure that the people
received maximum gains from government efforts.