Tambuwal seeks Assembly’s approval for 2022-2024 Expenditure Framework

Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has sought the approval of the State House of Assembly on the state’s 2022-2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).

Our correspondent reports that the request is contained in a letter addressed to the Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Achida, and presented at the House plenary on Tuesday in Sokoto.

Tambuwal said that the gesture was in line with the extant provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Law of Sokoto State, 2019.

He said that it required an outlined MTEF for the next three financial years be laid down as a guide for the coming year’s budget estimate.

“The framework provides macro-economic projections and analysis to guide aggregate revenue and expenditure for the years under reference for ease of implementation.”

“In this regard, the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders had worked out the framework.”

“This is covering the years 2022 to 2024, aggregating all the underlined assumptions in the projections,” he said.

He added that the fiscal strategy had set out all the revenue and expenditure projections for each year.

This, Tambuwal noted, is to guide the effective implementation based on defined objectives and developmental priorities.

The speaker thereafter referred the request to the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation for scrutiny.

The committee is expected to report back to the Assembly on Oct. 20, for further legislative action.

In a related development, the governor had requested the consideration of the Assembly on the proposed 2021 Supplementary Budget of N2.5 billion.

Tambuwal said that the amount is an intervention grant from Abdussamad Isiyaka Rabiu initiative (ASRA Africa) for the development of the health sector in the state.

“The fund and identified areas of intervention in the health sector were not provided for in the approved 2021 budget.”

“Hence, the need to carry out certain modifications in the budgetary provisions to accommodate the earning and projected expenditure in the state budget profile,” he said.

Meanwhile, the governor had forwarded the names of Prof. Aminu Abubakar-Illela, Shuaibu Gwanda-Gobir and Hassan Maccido, as nominees for appointment into the State Executive Council.

The Assembly also fixed Oct. 20, for the screening of the three nominees and subsequent recommendation on their nominations to the governor.