By Marie-Therese Nanlong – Jos
Plateau State government has earmarked the sum of six hundred and six million, seven hundred and seventy thousand naira (N606, 770, 000.00) for the payment of scholarship allowances to students studying within and outside the country.
This is even as the government reduced the total amount allocated for the education sector from N12, 214, 36, 930.00 representing 17.94% in 2019 budget to the sum of N7, 712, 076, 677.00 representing 9.81% in the 2020 budget.
However, the government called on citizens of the state to cooperate with revenue authorities for the payment of their taxes and levies so that all expectations in the implementation of the 2020 budget could be achieved.
The State Commissioner, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Sylvester Wallanko, made the allocation known while presenting the 2020 Budget break down at the Cabinet Office in Jos.
Apart from the education ministry, Tourism, Culture and Hospitality which is one of the focal points of government in getting internally generated revenue got the sum of N337, 900, 000.00 representing 0.5% of the total budget which is pegged at N177, 340, 521, 774.00.
Wallangko urged citizens to endeavour to pay their taxes and other levies to enable government meet up with the task of implementing the budget as he said, “A lot of funding is needed. As such, I implore on the good citizens of our dear state to cooperate with revenue authorities in the payment of their taxes and levies.
“Government is highly determined to continue to maintain zero tolerance for corruption and mismanagement of state resources by ensuring financial discipline in all transactions as we key into the State’s Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability Program (SFTAS) of the World Bank and the Federal Government.
“Government will maintain its stand on dealing decisively with any individual or group both in Public and Private Sectors that try to frustrate its efforts on revenue collection as we look inwards in other to be able to finance the budget.”
The 2020 Budget tagged “Budget of Rescue and Infrastructural Consolidation” has N96,743,795.754.00, representing (55.69%) and N78,596,726,020, representing (44.31%). as recurrent and capital expenditures respectively.
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