Ondo Govt Partners CSOs, NGOs On 2019 Budget Preparation

By Niyi Olutunde, Akure

Ondo State Government said it had partner with the Coalition of Civil Societies Organizations (CSOs), Non- Govermental Organizations (NGOs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) for the effective preparation of the 2019 budget.

Pastor Emmanuel Igbasan, Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget made the disclosure at the weekend during the 2019-2021 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and 2019 budget consultative meeting held in Akure.

Igbasan explained that the partnership was the part of the determination of the present administration to harness the abundant natural and human resources with a view to transform the state to one of the most developed states in the country.

Igbasan, who was represented by Mr Bunmi Alade, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry said that the development would go along way to meet government economic, social and development objectives and priorities.

“The partnership idea is to engage relevant organisations in order to deliver working and effective preparation of the 2019 budget.

“I believe that with this partnership it will enable all segments of the society to have their inputs and suggestions captured and embedded in the budget.

“For this, the present administration led by Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has vowed to continue to give planning the pride of place it deserves because for any state to develop, it must give adequate attention to planning,”he said.

He, therefore, charged the various organizations and groups to come up with strategies and contributions to achieve an all inclusive budget that would further develop the state and improve the living standard of the people.

Earlier, Mr Bunmi Alade, Permanent Secretary of the ministry who was represented by Mr Bamidele Daisi, Director of Development Planning, explained that the development was part of Open Governance Partnership Initiative programme to involve the poeple in the Budget planning process.

While presenting the 2019-2021 (MTEF) and the 2019 Budget projections, Mr Stephen Aworere, the Director of Budget said that MTEF was a three-year planning tool used in the estimation of aggregate resource envelope available to government.

According to him, the rational behind the adoption of MTEF was to empower budget manager to plan and execute budget with greater confidence for more efficiently and effectively service deliverd.

He said that state need to increase their lnternally generated revenue in order to meet critical needs of the people in the state.

Mr Franklin Oloniju, State Chairman of Coalition of Civil Societies Organization said that the organisation would continue given useful contribution to enable the state government had a robust 2019 budget preparation.

Oloniju, therefore urged government to also involve the Civil Societies in the implementation and monitoring of the budget and access to credit facilities by aspiring industrialists and medium scale business.