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Transparency Briefing: Bayelsa State Govt Declares Balance of N112.2bn In Its Coffer.
The Bayelsa State Government says it has a balance of N112.2bn in its coffer after the incomes and expenditures of the State Government for the month of May, June and July 2024.
This was disclosed by the Technical Adviser to Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, on Treasury and Account, Mr Timipre Seipulou on Monday during the Transparency briefing at the State Treasury Building, Yenagoa.
Though Seipulou explained that the balance of N 112.2bn is committed to signature projects across the three senatorial districts in the state.
He also said the government has spent N139.3 billion in servicing both foreign and bank loans, payment of salaries, ecological funds, commercial agriculture and others in the month of May, June and July 2024.
The expenditure amount also included foreign loans to students, restructure of over 13 percent indices, commercial agricultural schemes, ecological funds, restructure of commercial bank loan repayment, civil servants’ salaries, political appointee salaries, promotion arrears, salaries to primary school teachers, contribution to EDTF, BHIS, provisions for the cost of IGR, bank charges, capital and recurrent for the three months.
He also confirmed the receipt of the N500bn grants from the Federal Government as part of the NG Cares initiative.
He said: “The NG Cares programme is a programme run by the states, the Federal Government and the World Bank and that the programme is running in such a way that the states are expected to make some expenditures.
“These expenditures include areas of agriculture through FADAMA and after some period, say quarterly, the expenditures are refunded. That is after the projects are independently verified.
“The support to SMEs and individuals like the vulnerable and elderly are done in accordance to World Bank templates before refunds can be made and not complying with the template can lead to delays.
“So the N10.8bn the state received for two months was money that the government, through the NG Cares, actually spent on projects in the state,” Seipolu said.
Earlier, the state Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Mrs Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, said the state monthly transparency briefing instituted by law had continued with the present administration, saying minimum of three months, the programme should be aired to tell Bayelsans the income and expenditure of the state.
She restated the state government’s commitment to the transparency laws which make it mandatory to disclose the income and expenditure profile of the state.
