Abuja (Sundiata Post) The Presidential Villa, Abuja, has said out of N10.941 billion of its budget in 2016, it is yet to receive N5.745 billion representing 52.5 percent.
It said it has so far received a total of N5.196 billion as capital release from the 2016 budget amounting to 47.5 percent of it’s budget.
This was disclosed on Thursday by the Permanent Secretary, State House, Jalal Arabi when he addressed members of the House Committee on Special Duties during their oversight visit to the State House, Abuja.
According to Arabi, out of the released amount N4.8billion (93.1%) has so far been expended on the projects for which the funds were tied and released.
He also disclosed that for the 2017 budget, the State House had re-prioritised projects in the Medical Centre and suspended most of its capital expenditure proposals for now. He added that the State House would, however, take advantage of the supplementary budget window when necessary.
The State House 2017 budget has been reviewed downwards to N13,567,979,278.72 for from 2016 budget of N16,563,395,992.00.
All allocations for the 2016 recurrent expenditure have been received up to and including the month of December 2016, on the other hand, the capital releases were made for three out of five subheads in the State House budget, he said.
The House Committee on Special Duties which was inaugurated by the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, was led by the chairman, Nasir Daura.
While the State House headquarters, State House Medical Centre and
State House Lagos Liaison Office received releases, no releases were
made for the office of the Chief of Staff and the Office of the Chief Security
Officer to the President. Both releases are still pending.
State House Lagos Liaison Office received releases, no releases were
made for the office of the Chief of Staff and the Office of the Chief Security
Officer to the President. Both releases are still pending.
Arabi had last November told the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs who visited on an oversight function that the State House had received N2.71 billion for recurrent expenditure, representing 70.69 per cent. A total of N3.06 billion had also been released amounting to 27.9 per cent of the capital appropriation for 2016.
Explaining the new releases Arabi said “The state house capital budget has always been situated in five cost centres as against seven under the recurrent, with a total appropriation of N11,140,852,010. However, releases were only made to three cost centres.
“N5,196,581,458.64 was released to date amounting to 47 per cent of the amount appropriated, leaving a balance of N5,745,905,910.36 and representing 52.5 per cent.
“Of the released amount N4,839,238,955.97 (93.1 per cent) has so far been expended on the projects for which the funds were tied and released” Arabi said.
“We are still expecting additional releases before the end of March especially on hospital equipment to enable us conclude some of the procurements as per the budget.”
Arabi also said the 2017 budget has become less ambitious than the 2016 appropriation as personnel, overhead and capital costs were minimally reviewed upwards.
“The state house estimates are all based on existing projects that are classified as ongoing and that are simply rolled over from the 2016 appropriation and so, have the potential of being reduced in case additional realises are made for the projects before the end of the extended implementation period (March 2017). There is therefore no newly conceived project for the 2017.
“We have equally re-prioritised the State House Medical Centre projects which are undergoing a review, hence the suspension of all the capital expenditure proposals for now. We shall however take advantage of the supplementary budget widow when necessary”, Arabi said.
Earlier the chairman of the committee said the they had come to determine the level of implementation of the 2016 budget as well as on a fact finding mission to inspect completed and ongoing projects at the State House.
According to him this will help the correct the ongoing misinformation about State House, as well as to curb corruption and ensure that the country comes out of recession.