The Kaduna State Government has held a town hall meeting over a draft of the 2021 budget to get the input of citizens of the state on aspects they want to be addressed.
According to the Commissioner for Planning and Budget, Thomas Gyang, the state government is proposing to spend N237billion in the draft estimate for 2021 of which N157.56bn is capital and N79.96bn recurrent expenditure.
Gyang also disclosed that the 2021 budget, tagged ‘Budget of Discovery’, takes into account the economic impact of COVID-19 and the continuing uncertainty it has unleashed on the economy.
Speaking further, he also disclosed that despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, the state government has been able to record about 85 per cent implementation of the 2020 budget.
The virtual town hall meeting had government officials, members of civil society organisations, the academia, and the organised private sector in attendance.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai who was represented by his deputy explained that the 2021 draft budget reflects the Putting People First governance agenda of his administration.
He also noted that Education and Health are the principal components of human capital development, while investments in infrastructure are critical to maintaining competitiveness, supporting economic dynamism, creating jobs and promoting the well-being of the people.