Anambra State Government has identified tax payment and other civic duties as the only way to finance and move the state economy forward.
The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Ms. Chiamaka Nnake who disclosed this during the breakdown of the 2023 budget presented by Governor Chukwuma Soludo to the State Assembly, stressed that tax payment is everyone’s part in the development efforts of the present administration.
The budget breakdown was held at Government House, Awka.
The 2023 budget size is N258,984,875,905 which is approximately N259 billion against the 2022 Appropriation budget of N169.6 billion.
Capital expenditure increased by 51.1% from N108.2 billion to N163.5 billion while Recurrent expenditure increased by 55.6% from N61.4 billion to N95.5billion in 2023.
The capital expenditure accounts for 63.1% of the budget size compared to 63.8% in 2022 revised budget and recurrent expenditure accounts for 36.9% of the budget size.
78.3% of the budget is channeled to capital budget while 49.4% of the budget size is for recurrent expenditure.
The Budget will be financed by Statutory Allocation forecasted at 101,439,991,010, IGR of
48,038,436,204 as well as Capital Receipts of 6,431,000,000, summing up to 155,909,427,214.
The Deficit of 13,075,448,690 will be financed using additional Loan.
According to Commissioner Nnake, infrastructure projects accounts for 55.4% of the Capital Expenditure and 35.0% of the entire budget size.
Commissioner Nnake pointed out that the N90 billion loan to be received in 2022 will be rolled over to 2023.
Speaking on the key Deliverables for 2023 MDA, Key Projects and Budgets, the Commissioner explained that in the Ministry of Culture, Entertainment and Tourism, Phase one of the Leisure Park project will gulp N7. 5 billion while Ministry of Education will take N8. 4b as part of the present administration’s effort to revamp the education system.
N4. 5b was mapped out for the Ministry of Housing for housing Projects including Government House/Lodge as well as Commissioners Quarters, while N2. 9billion was earmarked for the Ministry of Transport to improve the Transport Infrastructure, revamp water transport with boats and buses for mass transit.
N500 million naira was set apart for the Ministry of Homeland Security, as a way to sustain security in the state, to purchase Armored Personnel Carriers and other security equipment, while office of the Governor will take N506 million as 5% of Derivation for special intervention projects targeted at Oil Producing Communities.
The Ministry of Agriculture will take N1,500,000,000 for procurement of Oil Palm and voconut seedlings Programme while
N4,995,000,000 has been designated for the Ministry of Power and Water Resources for 24/ 7 Power projects, as well as N1,968,000,000 for revamping Urban Water Schemes.
Ministry of Budget & Economic Planning will get 3,000,000,000 for counterpart Fund, while the Ministries of Information, Ministry of Women Affairs and the Sports Commission will get N200,000,000, N1,500,000,000 and N1,509,287,500 for Media Outreaches and mass mobilization of Ndi-Anambra, Ward-based Solution Cooperatives for Economic Empowerment as well as Sports Development, among others.
The Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu stressed that budget is about figures and not flowery words, explaining that before now,
people were not being taxed appropriately because there was oil money and the challenge of people collecting government revenue and pocketing same.
He added that tax is being implemented in a very sane way, noting that people are better off with the current tax regime than what was obtainable.
The Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Christian Aburime, among other senior government officials were present at the briefing.
