A non-governmental organisation, ‘Policy Alert’, has warned the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly against passage of the 2018 budget estimate, as presented by the Executive.
Acting Executive Director of the organisation Mr Tijah Bolton-Akpan said, “Among the important indices that should inform growth in budget size is improved yearly capital budget performance and growth of the economy. And it is clear from any cursory examination that Akwa Ibom capital budget performance has been unimpressive in recent years. Coming out of recession we cannot say that the state’s economy has fared any better.”
He further said, “Policy Alert therefore urges the House to resist the temptation to pass this bloated budget as proposed. It would have little expansionary impact on the state’s economy. The best commitment to capital budget performance cannot only achieve such improvement over time rather than suddenly. The 2018 budget proposals require significant haircuts and the revenue projections should be reviewed.”
Akpan also urged the state Legislature to prevail on the Executive to publish its quarterly budget implementation report that details among other things; actual IGR takings per quarter among other recommendations.
While presenting the Labour Unions’ position on the budget, the State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress Comrade Etim Ukpong also stressed on the need for improved budgetary allocation to the social sector in the 2018 budget.
Ukpong who also doubles as Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers said, “Increased allocation should be given to education, health and agricultural sector. He maintained that there should be a rethink about the situation during appropriation and implementation of the 2018 budget. He expressed disappointment over the implementation of the last year budget, noting that the vote for last year budget for crucial areas like education, health and agriculture were abysmally low.
In his opening remarks earlier, the Chairman, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Appropriations and Finance Mr Usoro Akpan-Nsoh, commended the stakeholders for their submissions.
He said, we assure that our oversight function of effectively monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the 2018 budget will be judiciously carried out so as to ensure fiscal discipline in the conduct of government affairs. The essence of ensuring public participation in the budgetary process was to ensure effective and optimal allocation of the scarce resources of the state.