The Zamfara State House of Assembly on Wednesday reviewed the 2020 budget.
The budget was passed at the house plenary in Gusau.
The Majority Leader of the house, Alhaji Faruku Dosara, presented the executive bill, urging the house to review the 2020 budget proposal in the state.
Dosara urged members of the house to support the motion and deliberate on the bill with a view to passing it.
Giving more light on the bill, the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Alhaji Muhammad Ahmad, said the 2020 initial budget was reduced by 20 per cent.
He said the budget was previously over 188.5 billion, but considering the realities of COVID-19 pandemic, it was reduced to N127.3 for the 2020 fiscal year.
“The capital expenditure estimate of the initial budget is N117 billion and it is now reduced to N68.3 billion, while the recurrent estimate is reviewed from N71.3 billion to N59.3 billion.
“You know as a result of COVID-19 challenges, from January to date, things have not been okay. The range between naira and dollar and price of petroleum have not been stable in the global market.
“That is why, we delayed the review of the 2020 budget,” he said.
The Deputy Majority Leader of the house, Alhaji Nasiru Bello-Lawal, urged the lawmakers to agree with the motion to review the budget considering the global economic realities due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The Speaker, Alhaji Nasiru Magarya, said it became necessary considering the COVID-19 pandemic challenges.
“We are all aware of the socio-economic challenges caused by COVID-19 globally, therefore, we have to agree with the realities.
“The bill having passed its first and second reading, members of the house deliberated extensively in a committee of whole.
“We resolved to agree with the review of the budget and give the bill its third reading, and sent it to the executive for assent,” the speaker said.
