By Dipo Olowookere
Cross River State Governor, Mr Ben Ayade, on Thursday presented a budget estimate of N1.3 trillion for next year.
The 2018 budget is far higher than the 2017 budget of N301 billion.
Presenting the budget proposal to the Cross River House of Assembly for deliberation and passage, the Governor explained that the ‘Budget of Kinetic Crystallisation’ was meant to crystallise what the state had achieved in the past two years of his administration.
According to him, the 2018 budget was designed to add value to the socio-economic development and wellbeing of the people of the state.
He said 70 percent of the budget was for capital expenditure and 30 percent for recurrent expenditure with the size expected to create room for potential investors, now that the annual construction of the state deep sea port and superhighway has commenced.
The Governor noted that the priority of the budget was to develop the state’s deep sea port and the super highway which he said were his two marked projects.
He added that the budget was for actualisation and implementation of the state deep sea port, super highway and other laudable projects earmarked for completion.
“The 2018 budget of N13.trillion, tagged `Kinetic Crystallisations’, is meant to drive the economy of the state to an enviable height.
“The sum of N126 billion was budgeted for the Ministry of Infrastructure. This is to help us develop critical assets in the state.
“N7 billion was also budgeted for the state job centre with a view to helping us train our unemployed youths with marketable job skills.
“Also, we have budgeted N2 billion for our school feeding programme. In addition to that, we also budgeted N52 billion for social welfare to care for the aged.
“My administration is human friendly and my desire is to ensure that every family has what to eat before going to bed,” he told the state lawmakers.
Mr Ayade further said that the garment factory, with 1,000 workers, would be increased to 3,000 in 2018 as part of his administration’s drive to engage the unemployed in the state.
