Gov Matawalle presents 2023 budget proposals to State House of Assembly

By IBRAHIM KANOMA, Gusau

Zamfara State Governor, Hon Mohammed Bello Matawalle, Thursday presented a total of N188,872,227,000.00 Appropriation Bill for the 2023 fiscal year before the Zamfara State House of Assembly.

Presenting the Budget proposal on the floor of the State House of Assembly, Governor Matawalle said the budget is designed to enable his administration adequately mobilise resources to fully contain the ravaging insecurity bedeviling the state.

He said the proposed 2023 Budget is anchored on multiple grant resources in order to make it fiscally realizable, coherent, and consistent with medium and long-term strategic plan, pointing out that the formulation of the Budget has come with a lot of challenges of high demand of more than N300 billion from Ministries, Departments and Agencies which are the instruments of implementation of Government policies and programmes.

This estimate is made up of N100.1b and N86.3b as recurrent and capital expenditures respectively.

Governor Matawalle said with the serious security challenges facing the state, his Administration saw the need to remain resolute and committed in the fight against insecurity, to this end, the sum of N20b is proposed under the security sector.

Similarly, the Governor said in response to humanitarian challenges arising from banditry and other heinous crimes, the sum of of N10.8b was allocated for humanitarian services.

In the same vein, he said “we have made a substantial allocation for the education subsector to the tune of 21.2b while Health sector receives 18.4b and Agricultural sector is allocated the sum of N4.8b

According to the Governor, in addition to the completion of the ongoing, projects, the administration will undertake a number of important projects in the 2023 fiscal year, which included: Provision of relief materials for the victims of banditry, flood and other disasters, for which the sum of N8.3b is earmarked.

The sum of N4 billion is earmarked for the completion of Gusau international Airport, while the construction of an ultra-modern Stadium and Hotel in Gusau, the state capital is expected to gulp N5 billion. And the joint UBEB/UNICEF Interventions will receive the sum of N4.5 billion.

Other projects to be executed in the 2023 fiscal year are the construction of Tsafe-Yankuzo road at the cost of N2 billion Completion of ongoing township roads and construction of new urban roads will cost the sum of N2 billion and the Food Security Grants to farmers will receive the sum of N1.5 billion

He promised that all the existing policy projects will continue to be enforced in the 2023 fiscal year, with emphasis on cost efficiency and effectiveness in implementing all government projects and programmes.

He added that his Administration will seek support from other donor organizations in coming up with the improved 25-year state development plan .

Governor Matawalle also informed the Honourable House that even though 2023 is an election year, his Administration will not relent in its efforts to confront and address the multitudes of challenges affecting the state in the course of implementing the budget.

The budget presentation was attended by the State Deputy Governor Senator Hassan Muhammad Nasiha, Jarman Gusau, Former Governor of Zamfara State Hon Dr Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar Shettiman Zamfara, Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa, Secretary to the state Government Alhaji Kabiru Balarabe .