By Danzumi Ishaku, Jalingo.
To achieve the 2023 budget, in Taraba state, the government of Taraba said it has stepped up her attempts in the mobilisation of revenue to reduce dependence on the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
The commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning, Solomon B. Elisha, stated this on Tuesday while briefing media in Jalingo the headquarters of the state capital. The state approved budget under the administration of Governor Ishaku for 2023, also debunked the allegations that the governor has indebted the state to the tune of over N200 Billions.
The commissioner whom Daybreak news noticed could not make public the present debt status of the state, urged the people to disregard the claim that Ishaku has catapulted the state debt profile to the height.
Alleging that the allegations are emanating from the opposition’s coffers, the 2023 approved budget of the state, as stated by him, is based on some macroeconomic assumptions among which includes the “United States Dollar exchange rate to N435.57.”
Others, as listed out by him, include the “International oil price benchmark of $70.00 per barrel, National Inflation rate of 17.16% and GDP growth of 3.75%” to mention but just a few.
Hon. Solomon Elisha noted that the timely passage of the Appropriation Law 2023 and assent into law is vital for the completion of government critical ongoing projects and transition to new administration in the state.
The budget, according to him “will be achieved through “improving revenue mobilisation through blocking of leakages and emphasising new sources.”
Other measures which he believed would be put in place to achieve the revenue projections of the budget, are via the Creation of fiscal space for infrastructural development, ensuring sustainable deficit and debt levels, as well as Strengthen, Monitoring and Evaluation.
Claiming that the incumbent state governor has successfully lifted Tarabans out of the dungeon of poverty, said the achievement was made possible by the human face policies put in place by Ishaku.
