The Budget Process is gradually progressing with the press briefing on the year 2021 Appropriation Law of Enugu State, Nigeria by the Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Budget and Planning; Hon. David Okelue Ugwunta Ph.D on Thursday, 14th January 2021.
Present at the Briefing were some members of the Enugu State Executive Council: The Hon. Commissioner for Finance; Mrs. Adaonah Kene-Uyanwunne, Hon. Commissioner for Education; Prof. Uche Eze, Hon. Commissioner for Health; Ass. Prof. Ikechukwu Obi, Hon. Commissioner for Agriculture;Hon. Matthew A. Idu, Special Advisers to the Governor , Permanent Secretaries , Heads of Non-Ministerial Departments and distinguished gentlemen of the press.
The Hon. Commissioner for Budget and Planning; Hon. David Okelue Ugwunta delightfully welcomed all to the days event and consequently read out to the hearing of all present the summarized contents of the years Appropriation Law assented by His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the Executive Governor of Enugu State on the 30th Day of December, 2020 following its passage into law by the State House of Assembly on the 29th of December, 2020.
The Revenue and Expenditure Performances of the year 2020 were analyzed while stating some of the achievements of the Fiscal Year 2020 as the payment of Minimum wage, construction of class rooms and faculty buildings for ESUT College of Medicine, Renovation and Equipping of Isolation Treatment Centers in Nsukka, ESUT Teaching Hospital Parlane, Designation of Former Colliery Hospital Enugu as Infectious Disease Hospital followed by its redesigning, reconstruction, construction and equipping of new structures in the complex, construction of 7 new Model Type III Primary Healthcare Facilities in Nkanu East, Igbo-Etiti, Igbo-Eze South, Isi- Uzo, Udenu, Ezeagu and Uzo Uwani among other numerous achievements.
The Key Assumptions of the 2021 Budget Framework also have Crude Oil bench marked at US$40 per barrel, Oil Production Estimate at 1.86 million barrels per day, Exchange rate at N380/US$, Real GDP Growth at 3.00% and Inflation rate at 11.95%.
The Years Approved Recurrent Budget is 64,711,000,000 (40%) while the Approved Capital Budget stands at 101,134,758,500 (60%) totaling 169,845,758,500 Approved budget size for the year under review.
However, the approved budget outside the recurrent expenditure is targeted at achieving some outstanding projects which include: Provision of Solar Lightings and generating sets in the state, Construction and renovation of public buildings, construction of additional facilities at ESUT Igbo eno, rehabilitation and reconstruction of Rural and Urban Roads in the state, Completion of Nsukka Stadium, Emergency Erosion Control, Establishment of Heritage Museums in the State, Building of 6 new fire stations in the state, construction of new FM Radio Station and Transmission House at Awgu LGA for social, health and educational programmes, Drilling of boreholes with submersible pumps and concrete storage facilities and reticulation in communities in the state among other key projects for the enhancement of lives of Enugu State Citizens as we continue to place Enugu State in the Hands of God.