The signing into law, Kaduna State 2017 budget on Tuesday December 13, 2016 at a time some states governors are yet to submit their budgets to states House of Assembly has set a record in yearly appropriation in Nigeria.
Earlier this week, Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, signed into law the 2017 budget of N214 billion for the fiscal year, after its approval by the State House of Assembly.
The total budget size of N214.9 billion, made up of N83.46 billion for recurrent spending and N131.45 billion in capital expenditure, according to the governor, represents “a capital to recurrent ratio of 61:39.”
El-Rufai, while signing the appropriation bill into law at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House, Kaduna, also announced that the state had received the Paris Club refund from the Federal Government, which would be used to clear six years pension, gratuity and death benefits of retired and dead workers in the state.
Although the refund sum was not specified, the Governor El-Rufai however, said: “I wish to inform our legislators that we shall be submitting a Supplementary Budget to enable us capture the debt refunds we have just received from the Federal Government”.
“55 per cent of these funds belong to the state government, and the balance is for the local governments. We propose to apply 50 per cent of the funds to settling the inherited arrears of gratuity and death benefits for State and local government workers.”