Enugu Assembly passes 2021 Appropriation Bill of N169.8bn

Enugu State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed the state’s 2021 appropriation bill of N169.8 billion.

It was reported that passage of the 2021 budget followed the presentation and adoption of a report by the House Committee Chairman on Finance and Appropriation, Mr Ezenta Ezeani during plenary.

Ezeani said that the budget estimate took full cognisance of the yearnings, aspirations and prayers of residents of the state.

It was reported that Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi had on Dec. 9 presented the 2021 budget proposal of N169.8billion to the State Assembly.

Ugwuanyi had told the legislators that the 2021 budget estimate was 13 per cent higher than the 2020 revised budget of N169.5 billion.

The governor said that the 2021 budget estimate was made up of N101.1 billion capital expenditure which represented 60 per cent of the estimated budget size.

He said that the recurrent expenditure stood at N68.1 billion representing 40 per cent of the estimated budget size.

The governor said that the budget estimate had a recurrent revenue of N110.08 billion and recurrent expenditure of N68.7 billion.

Ugwuanyi said that the economic and social sectors received N61.9 billion and N24.7 billion respectively.

He said that the figures represented 61 per cent and 24 per cent respectively of the total capital expenditure of the budget.

The chairman however, said that the committee did not alter the capital or recurrent expenditures of the budget as presented by the governor.

He said that the 2021 budget estimate was referred to the various standing committees of the assembly for budgetary defense by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the state government.

Ezeani said that the report was later considered clause by clause at the Committee of the Whole before it was subsequently passed.

Responding, the Speaker, Chief Edward Ubosi, said the document was critically examined by the legislators to ensure that it would benefit residents of the state.

Ubosi said the budget would be transmitted to the state governor for his assent and urged the various MDAs to ensure its full implementation when signed into law.