Kaduna Govt. records 38.15 % budget performance in 2019

The Kaduna State Government recorded 38.15 per cent performance in the implementation of its N239.13 billion revised 2019 budget, our correspondent reports.

This is contained in the state’s Statement of Financial Performance for 2019, signed by the state’s Auditor-General, Mr Bossa Avong and the state’s Accountant-General, Shizzer Bada.

According to the document obtained by our correspondent in Kaduna on Wednesday, the state’s total revenue in 2019 was N162.63 billion, representing 68 per cent of the estimated revenue for the year.

It further showed that the state was able to spend N91.22 billion, representing 38.15 per cent of the N239.13 billion revised budget for the year.

The amount was slightly higher than the N86.02 billion spent in 2018, out of the N130.72 billion total revenue, representing 39.70 per cent of the N216.65 billion 2018 budget.

The breakdown of the expenses showed that N1.44 billion was spent on consulting and professional services as against N1.93 billion spent in 2018.

It also showed that N42.86 billion was spent on employee benefits, slightly higher than the N34.37 billion spent on its workers in 2018.

Similarly, N505.39 million was expended on fuel and lubricants as against N551.83 million spent in 2018.

“N1.79 billion went into grants and contribution, about N2.6 billion lower than the N4.39 billion expended in 2018, while only N79.60 million was spent on insurance as against N739.48 million spent in 2018.

“Materials and suppliers consumed N9.88 billion as against N4.99 billion in 2018, while general expenses increased to N6.65 billion from the N3.93 billion spent in 2018.

“N895.44 million was expended on other services, lower than the N1.19 billion spent in 2018.

“Expenses for repairs and maintenance increased to N2.73 billion as against N536.26 million in 2018, while security and safety equally increased to N6.13 billion from the N3.89 billion spent in 2018,” it said.

The document further showed that the expenses for social benefits have increased to N870.60 million from the N307 million spent in 2018.

Training and human capital development also consumed N3.08 billion, about N700 million higher than the N2.38 billion spent in 2018.

It equally showed an increase in travel and transport expenses from N1.50 billion to N1.99 billion in 2019, while N684.94 million was spent on utilities as against the N1.13 billion spent in 2018.

However, expenses for waste management and disposal reduced to N1.28 billion from the N2.41 billion expended in 2018.

In the same vein, expenses for depreciation and amortisation equally decreased to N10.34 billion as against the N21.76 billion expended in 2018.

It was reported that the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) set the budget ceiling for any fiscal year, mandating that the budget should not exceed the ceiling by five to 10 per cent.

But over the years, the state’s annual budget has always exceeded the recommendation of the MTEF.

For example, the 2020 to 2022 MTEF document showed that the budget ceiling in 2016 was N94.96 billion, but the state passed a budget of N172.32 billion, with actual revenue of N80.24 billion.

It also showed that in 2017, the budget ceiling was N184 billion, but the state had a budget size of N214.92, while actual revenue was N105.23 billion.

The story was no different in 2018 when the state had a budget size of N216.65 billion, more than the N190.40 billion MTEF recommended ceiling, while the actual revenue for the year was N130.72 billion.

Stakeholders have blamed the development on the lack of adherence to the state’s Fiscal Responsibility Law, 2016, enacted to ensure that budget was credible, and size was within available resources.

Mr Yusuf Goje of the Coalition of Association for leadership, Peace, Empowerment and Development, told NAN that the development showed that the state budget has not always being realistic.

“It is surprising that the budget is still not performing as expected, which speaks volumes on how the state prepares and adheres to its MTEF.

“It is not about putting a huge budget amount which at the end of the day, the performance will be less than 50 per cent, as it is the trend over the years in the state.

“It is more about a realistic budget with quality implementation that focus on outcomes and impacts. That is, how is the schools and hospitals built reducing illiteracy and maternal and infant mortality,” Goje said.

Also, Dr Elisha Auta, Executive Director, Budget Research and Development Policy Advocacy Centre, said “if a budget cannot reduce poverty, unemployment and inequality, then it becomes merely an academic exercise.

“We need to know how the budget is performing, not in terms of how much was spent, but how it is impacting on the lives of the people.”