Gov Lalong to present N139bn budget

Tamarauemi Ebimini

The Plateau State Executive Council has approved a proposed budget estimate of N139.3bn to be sent to the State House of Assembly for approval.

It was learnt that the State Executive Council agreed on the budget proposal during an Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Simon Lalong at the Rayfield Government House in Jos on Tuesday.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Hon. Dan Manjang said the proposed budget had a capital expenditure proposal of 61.7bn and 77.6bn as recurrent expenditure.

He said the budget which had an increase of about 37 per cent over the 2022 approved budget would be transmitted to the House of Assembly for legislative action on a date to be fixed.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Planning, Mr. Peter Lamba, who stood in for the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr. Dan Hirkop, said the increment was necessitated by the ongoing recruitment and replacement of workers in the state.

Lamba said the increase also took note of of inflation, other indices and the need to ensure completion of critical projects.