2012 budget: Fulfill your budget promises, Mark tells Jonathan

Posted by admin Latest Politics Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

Senate President David Mark has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to fulfill all promises made concerning full implementation of the 2012 budget. Mark said this during his opening address to the joint session of the National Assembly on the presentation of the 2012 budget proposals by the President yesterday.

The Senate President bemoaned past promises made on failed economic policies and capital projects, which are supposed to benefit Nigerians but not implemented.

“Over the years, we have listened to very beautiful and impressive budget speeches eloquently delivered in this chamber. Unfortunately, the implementation has not matched the words as economic policies often lack continuity and projects are needlessly discarded or abandoned.

“We have what it takes to be a great nation or a world power. But we have never challenged ourselves sufficiently over the years to attain this desired goal. It is our hope and sincere belief that this budget will challenge us; and to take the challenge we must tighten our belts. To do so we must ensure that all sectors and every Nigerian irrespective of position or status is involved.”

Mark reminded the President on the need for other arms of government to cut their overheads to free more funds for provision of infrastructure for the citizenry.
“Let me remind us that in 2011, the Legislature led the way in reducing our overhead and recurrent expenditure in order to increase investment in capital expenditure and to lead by example.

“We must lay emphasis on critical infrastructure, reduce revenue leakages, grow the economy, generate employment, encourage local production and promote made-in Nigeria goods. We on our part will ensure the comprehensive implementation of the 2012 budget to the letters through our oversight functions.
“Let this budget be the one that will say “let there be light, and there is light; let there be roads and there are roads; let there be water, and there is water; let there be employment and there is employment; let there be medicare and it is so; and let there be food and there is food.”

After the budget presentation, Senate Appropriation Committee Chairman, Senator Ahmed Maccido in an overview of the new Appropriation Bill described it as a “progressive budget.”
Maccido disagreed with the Finance Minister over the 50 percent budget implementation performance of the 2011 budget.

“Personally, I’m not satisfied with the implementation of the 2011 budget and the National Assembly too. The Minister of Finance said it was 80 percent performance but that is not true. Even if it was implemented up to 50 percent, it was in recurrent and not capital which is not good enough.”
“Considering the parameters used, the budget is quite progressive. The parameter tendered to us today shows that the budget is considerate; the exchange rate of $155 and then the benchmark of $70 per barrel are conservative and acceptable.”
Asked the National Assembly’s disposition to the removal of oil subsidy, Maccido disclosed that the President is still consulting.

-Sunwp_posts