By Adedapo Adesanya
The Taraba State House of Assembly has approved the 2022 budget of N149,784,896,396,82, into law, higher than the sum of N146,781,653,671,82 initially proposed by the Governor of the state, Mr Darius Dickson Ishaku.
The 2022 budget now has recurrent expenditure of N78,072,587,679,90 and a capital expenditure of N71,712,308,716,82.
According to the Speaker, Mr Albasu Joseph Kunini, the reason for raising the budget higher was to capture all areas that were not captured and add funds to areas where needed more funds to function effectively.
The Speaker described the increase as another milestone in the history of the House and the state, in general, to put Taraba State in good shape.
Mr Kunini recalled that since assumption of power in 2015, Governor Darius Ishaku’s led administration had so far presented six budget speeches to the Taraba Assembly that includes 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 as well as that of 2021 which was tagged Budget of Restoration and Stabilization” following the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He added that on the continuous path of recovery, Mr Ishaku’s administration has now presented the budget for the year 2022.
The Speaker also said the implementation of the series of Appropriation Laws in the state has greatly put smiles on the faces of a good number of Tarabans.
According to the Speaker, because of the dogged commitment of Governor Ishaku in maintaining a cordial, symbiotic, and harmonious working relationship with all branches of government in the state, particularly the Legislature, the budget circle which hitherto commenced in March or sometimes April is now brought back to January- December of every fiscal year.
Dipo Olowookere