Katsina State government has presented an appropriation bill of N118.77bn to the state House of Assembly for the 2012 fiscal year, with budget estimates being N113.76bn and a surplus of N5.16 billion. Tagged “Budget of Continuity”, the amount surpasses that of 2011 by N18.81bn or 18.82 percent which stood at N99.95 billion, with the “increase envisaged on consideration of improved earnings from the statutory Federation Account.”

Governor Shema explained that, the 2012 budget was structured with the capital expenditure at N79.74 billion or 70.20 per cent, while the recurrent expenditure is N33.86 billion or 29.80 per cent of the total budget.

He noted that, there was relative increase in the recurrent personnel cost from N16.63 billion in 2011 to N21.12 billion in the new budget, adding that, the increase was due to government’s acceptance to implement the new national minimum wage.

The governor maintained that, the state had an opening balance of N25 billion, with N30.51 billion or 26.86 per cent to be expended on the economic sector, N18.20 billion on social services, N692 million on the judiciary and N2 billion as miscellaneous expenses.

Governor Ibrahim Shema, who presented the Katsina state 2012 budget to the state House of Assembly , said the 2012 budget is structured with the capital expenditure at N79.74bn or 70.20 percent while recurrent expenditure is N33.86bn or 29.80 percent of total budget. Shema said there was relative increase in the recurrent personnel cost from N16.63bn in 2011 to N21.12bn in the new budget, adding that the increase was due to government’s acceptance to implement the new national minimum wage. He said the state has an opening balance of N25bn, with N30.51bn to be spent on the economic sector, N18.20bn on social services, N692m on the judiciary and N2bn as miscellaneous expenses. He said the last budget had been judiciously utilized to provide needed services to people in the state and that government would continue to give priority to education, agriculture, infrastructural development and the health sectors in the new fiscal year.