By Aluta News
April 26, 2022
The Nasarawa State Government in a bid to fully implement State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programnme on Tuesday, held budget consultation meeting with the people of Nasarawa State Western Senatorial zone.
Mr Daniel Agyeno, the State Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Planning, while speaking at the consultation meeting in Keffi, said that the meeting was organised to ensure that the 2023 budget captured inputs from the citizens.
According to Agyeno, SFTAS is a World Bank support and intervention programnme intended to support Nigerian states to implement a fiscal sustainability plan as part of financial reform in key areas.
The commissioner, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Emmanuel Alizi, listed areas of focus to include increasing fiscal transparency, accountability, strengthening domestic revenue mobilisation, strengthening efficiency in public expenditure and sustainable debt management.
The commissioner explained that citizens budgeting also known as participatory budgeting is a process of democratic deliberation and discussion as well as decision making, in which citizens decide how to allocate part of the state budget.
He said this systematic process allowed the people to identify, discuss and prioritise public spending, projects and to make real decisions about how fund were being utilised.
“Usually, government has its own plans, programmes and projects for the people, however, citizens budget is organised to allow participation of the people so as to engage real projects that citizens need.
“Citizens budgeting makes governance more transparent and accessible to the common man, it gives citizens the chance to allocate resources, prioritise social policies and monitor public spending through budget tracking,” he said.
Rev. Dr Bulus Dakuru, a participant, Chairman, Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN), Nasarawa West and Karu Local Government Area chapter, while commending government for the programme, urged government to pay more attention to security situation in the state.
Smah George, a representative of media, said that the SFTAS programme would bridge the gap between the government and the citizens, especially in the area of budget participation, while pledging media support towards the success of the project.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the consultation meeting, which has its theme as “Citizens Engagement: a Veritable Too for Socio-Economic Development, attracted participants from various groups such as civil society organisation and community based organisations.
Others are faith-based organisations, the media, the youth associations, market women associations and farmers union, among others.
NAN