Aregbesola proposes N173 billion for Osun in 2018

The Governor of Osun state, Mr Rauf Aregbesola today (Thursday) presented the 2018 Budget proposal of N173,980,083,007 to the State House of Assembly in Osogbo, the state capital.

While presenting the draft Budget which he tagged “Budget of Enduring Legacy”, the Governor said his budget was anchored on the avowed commitment of his administration to provide a conducive living environment for the people of the State.

Aregbesola noted that the budget for 2018 is N27,347,336,027 higher than that of 2017 which was N146,632,746,980.00‎.

The governor told the House of Assembly that ‎the state will be expecting money to finance the budget from expected government share of Federation Account N27 billion forming 15.56%, Value Added Tax‎ N8.8 billion (5.10%).

Others are‎ Excess crude account‎ N77.7 billion‎ (0.04%),other revenue from FAAC ‎N5,052.6billion (2.90%), personal and corporate taxes are put at ‎N25.1 billion (14.45%) and N9.7 billion (5.58%) respectively,

Expected form Licences ‎is N1.5 billion (0.92‎%), General fees N20.8 billion (11.99%)‎, General. Earnings N3.6 billion (2.55%), rent on government buildings and rent on lands and others at ‎N335.7 billion (0.19%) and N279 billion (0.16%) respectively.

Other sources are. Repayment, investment income,‎ interest earned, reimbursement, domestic aids, foreign aids, domestic grant and foreign grants

‎The governor put the total year expected receipt at N151.9 billion ‎(87.34%), other sourced fund to finance specific projects are internal source and external are‎ N1.5 billion ‎(0.86%) and external source N20.5 billion (11.80%" respectively‎.

‎He said, "Our ultimate goal for the 2018 Budget is to ensure a continuous improvement in the welfare and standard of living of our people.

"This will be achieved by consolidating the previous achievements of this administration and do everything possible to recover the lost glory of the State.

"Thus, the 2018 budget has been carefully packaged to ensure the effective realization of our vision as encapsulated in our Six-Point Integral Action Plan.

"It is important to intimate this august Assembly that the preparation of 2018 Budget has been very participatory. Relevant inputs were sourced and received from various stakeholders across the State in order to enhance the quality of the Budget".

‎Aregbesola from the budget presentation put the summary of total arrears transferred to the Draft 2018 Budget as budget surplus/deficit‎ N-28.6 billion, liabilities, N22 billion, salary arrears N-22.8 billion, Pension and gratuity, N-6.7 billion and capital arrears (dredging/flood control)‎ N-2.3 billion totalling N-38.5 billion

‎He said, "Having presented the highlights of the summary of the revenue and expenditure components of the draft 2018 Budget as well as the sectoral and sub-sectoral classifications of the Capital Budget, let me now present the highlights of the proposals contained in the budget.

"I will start by highlighting the achievements recorded in each of the sectors/sub-sectors and thereafter speak on the programmes and projects admitted into the 2018 Budget.

‎"The State of Osun, being an agrarian economy with arable fertile soil, can only move forward positively by revolutionising agriculture. The present administration will continue to put agriculture in its pride of place of the state economy.

"Agriculture will not only provide employment for our teeming masses, it will also encourage rapid agro-allied industrialization of the state, generation of income and improved welfare of the citizenry.

"As spelt out in the Six-Point Integral Action Plan, our intention is to make agriculture profitable, attractive as a good venture as well as making food available in the State for the well being of our citizens.

In his remarks, the Speaker, Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Folasayo Salam, commended Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, for delivering dividends of democracy to the people of the state.

Salam hailed Aregbesola for being faithful to his electioneering promises made to the people of the state in the last seven years.

According to him: "We can learn from history, but we can also deceive ourselves when we selectively take evidence from the past to justify what we have made up our minds to do.

"Today, history is being made not because Governor Rauf Aregbesola is presenting the financial estimate for the 2018 fiscal year, but because his is appearing before this distinguished parliament for the last time on this kind of an exercise in this hallowed chamber.

"I must appreciate Governor Aregbesola for dedicating himself to the thankless job of state Chief Executive. He has once asserted energy and intelligence on the job given to him; he has been faithful to his six-point integral action plan, which he promised during his electioneering campaign and he has successfully charted a new course of development for this state beginning from intangible to tangible.

"I appreciate Mr Governor for engaging our youths in social services, which led to the establishment of "OYES, concept. We are all witnesses to how youths in their thousands were given sense of belonging and tipped for social responsibility with the program.

"I commend the state government under the leadership of Governor Aregbesola on the way and manner education facilities were given new lease of life which is unprecedented in the anal history

"Security architecture in the state, which has made Osun to be one of the most peaceful states in the country, is one area which Governor Aregbesola has excelled by making resources available for the new equipment and manpower for our security agencies and the motivation designed for the all security agents prior to the period of economic meltdown was another step that has the state to be secured on life and property.