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Akeredolu Signs 2017 Appropriation Bill Into Law, Urges People To Pay Tax
By Niyi Olutunde, Akure
Ondo State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) has signed the 2017 Appropriation Bill of the state into law.
Akeredolu however urged the people of the state to pay their tax correctly stressing that a bill on the new order of payment of tax in the state would soon be presented to the state House of Assembly.
The state House of Assembly had on Monday approved a budget of
N170Billion presented to it by Governor Akeredolu.
Speaking after the signing of the appropriation law, Governor
Akeredolu said the huge deficits which exist in various sectors of the state socio-economic life needed to be tackled frontally by his administration.
Breaking down the budget, Akeredolu disclosed that Debt Service (Principal) will gulp #8.127Billion, Statutory Transfers gulps #8.374Billion, Recurrent
Expenditure gulps #95.159billion while the Capital Expenditure will gulp #95.159billion, adding that his his administration has tried to reduced the embarrassing imbalance between the recurrent and capital expenditure.
While lamenting on the current serious financial challenges facing the state as a result of low Internally Generated Revenue, (IGR), Akeredolu said, “we shall expand our tax base, aggressively. This administration requires the cooperation of all concerned in ensuring that all revenues accruable to the state are realised with minimal stress”.
“This administration is not unmindful of the of the dire challenges
faced by it, with regards to budget implementation, mainly due to
paucity of funds. We are however determined to improve our fiscal
circumstances substantially through revenue generation,” he stressed.
The Governor who stressed the need to invest into the future, also informed that the tax base of the state will be expanded with a view to generating more revenue for the state, and therefore solicited for the cooperation of the people to realize the dream of the state
government.
Earlier in his remarks, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. David Oleyeloogun observed that a budget of #168Billion was presented to the House; but after scrutiny, the House made an
adjustment which sum the budget up to #170Billion.
He said the adjustment was to cater for the needs of the tertiary institutions owned by the state government.
Meanwhile, Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu has read the riot acts to civil servants in the state, even as he warned them against unscrupulous acts.
The Governor who expressed displeasure on the attitude of some workers in the employ of the state government, lamented that some civil servants are involved in fraud.
He threatened to sack erring civil servants involved in fraud and other acts that could undermine their oaths of allegiance.
“We shall not fail to deal decisively with any civil servant found guilty. I believe in due process and as a lawyer, I love litigations. So, if I decide to sack any civil servant, you are free to go to court. I am not afraid to fight the cankerworm that have eaten deep into our system,” he said.
