Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong has signed the 2018 appropriation bill into law with a charge on citizens to pay their taxes and other levies on time so that the budget would be executed as planned.
The budget whose size is placed at N146, 406, 074, 921.00 only is tagged, “Budget of Rescue and Consolidation” and N70, 505, 477, 530.00 representing 48.16% would be used for capital expenditure while the sum of N75, 900, 597, 391.00 only representing 51.84% would be spent on recurrent expenditure.
However, the State House of Assembly which had earlier increased the budget from N145,488,066,352.00 only to N146,406,074,921.00 said the increase which is N918,008,569.00 representing 0.63% is for their “constituency projects and other critical areas of needs that warrant such expenditure.”
According to the Governor, “The 2018 Budget, Rescue and Consolidation was principally to address the crucial needs of our people, having rescued and built confidence in them in the previous years.
“Having listened to the synopsis of this Bill especially as it pertains how this budget will be financed, may I state categorically that there is every need for all Agencies of Government to rise to the challenge of remitting all revenues approximately.
“The people need to reciprocate by paying their taxes and other levies as at when due, more so that Government alone cannot do it as no man is capable of clapping with one hand.”
