The Kano State House of Assembly has approved Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s request for downward review of the 2020 appropriation “following economic challenges occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The assembly approved the request on Monday, after reading a report in respect of the amendment by the Chairman of the house Committee on Appropriation, Alhaji Abba Garko.
The plenary session was presided over by the Speaker, Alhaji Abdulazeez Gafasa.
NAN recalled that in June, Gov. Ganduje sent a letter to the house, seeking downward review of the 2020 budget from over N200 billion to N138 billion.
According to Garko, the budget has been slashed by about 30 per cent due to drop in the projected revenues occasioned by the pandemic.
He explained that “the revised budget is made up of N78.8 billion for recurrent expenditure, representing 57 per cent, and N54.9 billion for capital expenditure, which is 43 per cent of the total budget.”
Garko added that the slash of the budget would not affect workers’ salaries, noting, however, that budget for the health sector was reviewed upward.
The lawmakers, deliberations, unanimously adopted the report and approved the downward review of the budget.
They also approved a new law — Kano State Public Financial Management Bill, 2020.
The Majority Leader of the house, Alhaji Kabiru Dashi, later told newsmen that the law was aimed at accounting how public funds should be expended. (NAN)
