Bayelsa Govt: How We Spent Nov, Dec Federal Allocation

Bayelsa Govt: How We Spent Nov, Dec Federal Allocation

Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa

The Bayelsa State Government Thursday released a detailed statement on how it spent the federal allocation it got in November and December 2018.

The state Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd), who spoke at the Government House in Yenagoa during the monthly transparency briefing for both months, announced a gross inflow of N15 billion for November.

The amount, he said, included 13 percent derivation of N8.9billion; statutory allocation N3billion, foreign exchange equalisation N2billion, Value Added Tax N898million and refunds from other states which is N57.5million.

He said the total FAAC deductions gulped N1.5billion, comprising restructured commercial bank loans of N741 million, bond N421 million, refund of overpayment of 13 percent derivation to other states N128 million and Excess Crude Account facility of N126 million.

Also, Jonah put the total funds available for spending in December at N15 billion made up of net FAAC inflow of N13.6 billion; November IGR of N1.4billion and refund from local government salary bailout refund is N16 million.

On the outflows, the deputy governor said the government spent a total of N6.3 billion, comprising bank loans of N2billon, salaries of civil servants and political appointees N3.2billon and grant to tertiary institutions N630 million.

Other expenditure items included Christmas bonus N238 million; 10 percent contribution to primary school teachers’ salary payment N45 million and National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) members allowance of N40 million.

Jonah said the government posted a total of N13.6 billion as its annual Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for last year as against the N4.5billion realised when the government came in in 2012.

“Our target was to be able to take care of half of the salary obligations from tax receipts. We have not been able to meet that target but we have been able to make real progress.

“We are intensifying efforts as our tax drive is still going on. If we are able to increase the IGR level, even if the allocation from the federal level falls very low, we should be able to pay salaries without any stress,” he said.

In his remarks, the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, expressed satisfaction with the achievements recorded by the Governor Seriake Dickson-led administration in the area of infrastructural development.

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