By IBRAHIM KANOMA, Gusau
Similarly, he said the government had completed the construction of General Hospital Birnin Magaji, reconstructed the General Hospital at Talata-Mafara, and was constructing the Gusau International Airport.
Governor of Zamfara State, Hon. Mohammed Bello, Matawalle Maradun, has presented an estimated budget of N160,248,511,000 for the 2022 fiscal year to the state’s legislature.
The 2022 proposed budget, which presentation was done at the floor of the house on Monday, was made to be higher by 36 percent than the revised budget of N117,575,400,000, to address the huge socio-economic problems facing the state, such as insecurity, poverty, unemployment and the desired capital projects, Governor Matawalle said while addressing the house session.
He said the estimate of the budget was drawn on the projected revenue of N80,181,655,000 for recurrent and N80,066,856,000 for capital expenditures.
“The estimate was also formed into corresponding recurrent and capital expenditures of N63,165,511,000 and N97,083,000,000 respectively,” the governor said.
Governor Matawalle outlined a few projects that will be executed in the 2022 fiscal year, which include, among others, the Gusau-Jauri-Dogon Kade road, rehabilitation of the existing roads from Kotorkoshi–Mada, and Gusau–Dansadau, reconstruction and completion of Shinkafi Referral Hospital and construction of Maradun General Hospital.
Others include the construction of dispensaries across the 14 Local Government Areas of Zamfara State, construction of Mada-Wonaka- Ruwan Bore road, construction of Maradun-Magami and Faru road, various rural water and electrification projects within the financial year and construction of Tsafe–Yankuzo-Yanwaren Daji-Hayin Aljhaji-Cedeya to Yandoton Daji road.
The sectoral allocation under the capital expenditure shows that the sum of N47,418,000,000, representing 48.84% of the capital estimate, is budgeted to take care of investments on economic empowerment through agriculture, public finance and fiscal management; private sector growth and development, road and transport infrastructure, water resources, as well as housing and urban development.
Similarly, the sum of N16, 573,000,000 representing 17.07% of the capital estimate, is earmarked for the Social Sector where sub-sectors of Education, Health, Information among others, will be addressed.
Earlier, in a review of the 2021 budget, Governor Matawalle said a lot had been achieved by the 2021 reviewed Budget despite low revenue generation occasioned by insecurity in the state.
He said his administration has joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and the Action Plan is currently being drawn, while the Steering Committee would be inaugurated immediately after the completion of the Action Plan before the end of December.
He said the government was able to build 147 Primary Health Centers in each of the Wards in the state and had built 966 classroom blocks in primary and junior secondary schools across the state.
Similarly, he said the government had completed the construction of General Hospital Birnin Magaji, reconstructed the General Hospital at Talata-Mafara, and was constructing the Gusau International Airport.
Governor Matawalle said the proposed budget promises a lot of hopes for the state, where ongoing projects including the international airport, the new Government House and ongoing roads construction and hospitals will be completed.
