By Augustine Okezie, Katsina

Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari on Wednesday presented budget proposal of N282.78billion for 2021 to the House of Assembly.

Tagged ‘’Budget of Recovery and Consolidation’’, the estimate exceeds that of 2020 by more than N101 billion, figure of which stood at N179 billion.

Masari lamented that insecurity and Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had affected full implementation of the 2020 budget. He said: ‘’Efforts were made to meet the yearnings of the people within the 2020 budget, and views of residents were considered while compiling the 2021 estimate.

‘‘The 2021 budget is designed to complete ongoing projects and initiate other capital projects that can be completed during the tenure of this administration.

“N196.1 billion, representing 79 per cent of the budget, is for capital expenditure, while 30 per cent of the budget, which is N86.4 billion, is for recurrent expenditure.’’

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Masari said 48 per cent of capital expenditure, or N135.9 billion would go to the economic sector, while the social and administrative sectors would gulp N104.1 billion (36 per cent), and N38 billion (13.4 per cent).

The governor said under recurrent expenditure, personnel is to get N30.6 billion (35 per cent), overhead, N42.8 billion (49.6 per cent) and N12.9 billion (15 per cent), consolidated revenue charges.

He said: “The total amount projected to finance the budget is N172.2 billion, which comprises N57.1 billion as Internally Generated Revenue from the Board of Internal Revenue, MDAs and balance of 2020 budget.

“Revenue expected from the Federation Account to finance the budget is estimated at N115 billion.”

Speaker Tasi’u Maigari said the Assembly would invite Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for budget defence.

Maigari said he hoped the budget proposal would be given speedy passage to enable the government give democracy dividends to the people.