Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has proposed to commit N33.7 billion on the provision of critical infrastructure in all its satellite towns next.
This budgetary item was emphasised when the Minister of FCT, Mohammed Musa Bello, presented a N232 billion statutory budget for 2020 to the National Assembly.
The Satellite Towns to receive attention include Kubwa, Karshi, Kabusa, Bwari, Kuje, Kusaki, Dobi, Anagada, Gosa, Abuja North-west and Abuja South-west.
The allocation would open up and develop the Satellite Towns by providing the basic amenities which would further reduce the pressure already existing in the capital city.
FCTA, in a statement by its spokesman, Anthony Ogunleye, said Satellite Town Development Agency (STDA) would spend N33.7 billion from the sum of N121. 9 billion proposed for capital expenditure in the budget.
Of that amount, the FCTA would dedicate N11.5 billion to the completion of the Abuja Light Rail project and other counterpart funded related projects aimed at enhancing socio-economic activities in the Territory.
Other Secretariats, Departments and Agencies (SDAs) got N47.9 billion for their capital expenditure to address critical areas like the ongoing road construction, water treatment plants and related facilities as well as a few new projects.
The breakdown of the FCT statutory budget of N232 billion indicated that a sum of N53.8 billion (23.15 per cent) was budgeted as personnel cost; N57 billion (24.52 per cent), as overhead cost; and a proposed capital expenditure of N121.9 billion (52.35 per cent) as capital expenditure.
The proposal also indicated reductions in personnel and overhead costs, with N53.8 billion proposed in the 2020 budget as against the N55.5 billion in 2019 for personnel and N57 billion as against N57.6 billion in 2019, for overhead.
The statement added that the figures represented a two per cent and 0.93 per cent decrease respectively.
FCTA explained that it would spend N6.1 billion on the rehabilitation, expansion, extension and construction of six major roads, including the Outer Southern Expressway, Inner Southern Expressway, Road B6, B12, Circle Road and Abuja Central Area.
