THE Federal government Monday alerted Nigerians to prepare ahead for
what it termed, more austere conditions in view of the strict economic
policies being put in place by the Muhammadu Buhari led administration,
just as it vowed to strictly monitor expenditure of all Ministries,
Department and Agencies, MDAs to avoid wastes..
The Federal government has also planned to in that 2016 budget,
reduce the Personnel cost form N1.8 trillion to N100 billion as part of
moves to reduce expenditure and save cost.
According to the government, an excess of N1 trillion was spend on
fuel subsidy in the year 2015 which include the Nigeria National
Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, just as it disclosed that attention would
be given to Internally Generated Revenue, IGR to fund the N6 trillion
2016 budget, adding that in 2016, it would remove fuel subsidy, move the
price of petrol per liter from N87 to N97.
These were disclosed Monday when the Ministers for Budget and
National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma; Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun and State
for Petroleum Resource; Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu; Governor, Central Bank of
Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele; Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue
Service, FIRS, Babatunde Fowler appeared before the joint committee s of
the National Assembly on Finance to defend the 2016, 2017 and 2018
Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper, MTEF &
FSP documents presented to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu
Buhari.
Speaking earlier, Minister for Budget and National Planning, Udoma
Udo Udoma who noted that it was important that substantial reductions
were made on the spending pattern if the expected change must come in,
said, ” In preparing the MTEF, we seek a dramatic shift from spending on
recurrent to spending on capital aspect of the budget. It is going to
be tighter for everybody. All non essential expenditure would be cut
out. We will reduce the overheads by 7 per cent. We are beginning a
journey of change and Change has to start with the clarity of purpose of
where we are going.
Udoma who noted that the MTEF was prepared in such a way that it
would help combat the economic challenges ahead, said that ”challenging
times need firm and robust response. This is what the MTEF represents.
It was also designed to create better governance; to turn things around
and promote economic prosperity for the people.”
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