Senate passes N222bn budget for FCT

November 9th, 2017 

With seven weeks to the end of the year, the Senate Thursday approved the 2017 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) budget of N222,360,551,512.

Out of the amount, N52billion is for personnel cost, N41billion for overhead cost while N128billion is earmarked for capital expenditure.

Passage of the budget followed the adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on FCT.

Presenting the report for consideration, chairman of the committee, Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi State), explained that personnel cost constitutes 23.64 percent of the budget, overhead represents 18.20 percent while the capital component is 58 percent of the total budget.

He gave the breakdown of the capital component of the budget to include: N1billion earmarked for the expansion and rehabilitation of Outer Northern Expressway and Airport Expressway, N13 billion for the provision of infrastructural facilities to districts and road construction in Jahi, Wuye, Maitama Extension, Abuja North West and Katampe Districts, N1 billion for the construction and dualisation of Lower- Usman Dam, Gurara Road and N400 million for provision of access road to Kabusa Garden.

He added that N20 billion has been earmarked for the ongoing projects in Satelite Town, N5.5 billion for the provision of engineering infrastructure to the resettlement of site Wasa 1 while the remaining allocation is channeled towards provision of roads, electricity supply towards the development of satellite towns like Kubwa, Bwarikau, DobiIzom roads, Karu Township roads among others.

On the overhead costs, he said the provision in the budget is to enhance the operational cost of Secretariat, Department and Agencies (SDAs) in order to improve performance and meet up with revenue target.

Melaye said the budget also made provision for some critical services such as security, city cleaning, traffic management, chemicals for water treatment etc.