By Eben Enasco Kingsley, Benin City
The Edo House of Assembly on Monday passed the 2017 budget estimates of N153.2 billion.
Governor Godwin Obaseki had on December 19, 2016 presented a budget size of N150 billion to the house for consideration and passage.
The budget as presented by the governor consists of N75.11billion as capital expenditures while the proposed recurrent expenditures stood at N74.9 billion. The house shored up the appropriation bill with about N3billion.
Considering the bill clause-by-clause, the Chairman, Appropriation and Project Monitoring, Damian Lawani (APC Etsako Central) constituency said the budget reflected the views of the people and was designed to consolidate and complete all ongoing projects.
During the consideration of the bill, N76.6 billion was allocated for capital expenditures, while N76.5 billion was allocated for re-current expenditures.
The breakdown of the bill showed that N18.5 billion, N7.2 billion , N3.6 billion and N6.034billion were allocated for the recurrent expenditures of the administrative, economic, law and justice and social sectors respectively.
Also N5.68 billion, N47.billion and N1.84 billion, and N22.09were allocated for the capital expenditures for the administrative, economic, law and justice and social sectors respectively.
The house after consideration of the document with amendment passed the bill.
The Speaker, Justin Okonoboh thereafter directed that clean copies of the bill be sent to the governor for his approval.