ENUGU – The Enugu State Government says it has implemented its 2014 “Budget of Actualisation’’ of N93 billion to 85 per cent.
The Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr Kester Agbowo, made the disclosure on Thursday in Enugu at the “2014 Mid-Term Review Workshop”, organised for the state’s Executive Council members.
According to him, the aim of the workshop was to retrace administrative steps where and when necessary to ensure transparency and prudence in public service.
He listed some of the successful areas of the budget implementation to include massive urban and rural road construction and rehabilitation, timely remitting of subventions to tertiary institutions and parastatals and free maternal and child care programme. [eap_ad_2] “It is a time for stock-taking to chart a course for the remaining part of the year. It is to keep track on the implementation of the budget.
“We want to ensure transparency, financial prudence in the management of the resources of the state in order to examine and compare figures and facts and know whether we are doing it right or we should change focus.
“This is the last budget year of this administration, so this year’s budget is a very important one because it is targeted at ensuring the completion of all ongoing projects and to set the time for the new administration,’’ he said.
Earlier, declaring the workshop open, the Deputy Governor, Rev. Raphael Nwoye, said the review was part of the administrations’ periodic activity to ensure public financial management to forestall significant deviations.
“This is a worthwhile strategy to reduce the effect of external shocks on our economy. Good governance cannot be achieved without accountability and transparency,’’ he said.
In an interview, the Executive Secretary of the state’s Economic Planning Commission, Mr Dan Onyishi, expressed optimism that the target for the 2014 Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of over N57 billion, would be met.
“We exceeded our IGR target of N14 billion last year and hit N20 billion and this year I am sure that we will hit our target this year,’’ he said.
Some of the participants at the workshop commended the state government for creating an enabling environment to implement the budget in various ministries. (NAN) [eap_ad_3]