The Kaduna State Government on Tuesday said 60 per cent of the 2017 budget for local councils in the state would go into capital projects.
The State Commissioner, Local Government Affairs, Jafaru Sani, said the total budget size is N62 billion and had been forwarded to the state assembly for approval.
The commissioner told newsmen in Kaduna that the budget included 10 per cent of the local government Internally Generated Revenue and the Paris Club debt refund.
He said 60 per cent was proposed for capital expenditure and 40 per cent for recurrent services.
Sani attributed the poor implementation of local council budgets over the years to huge salaries, pensions arrears and gratuity.
He expressed the hope that the 23 local government councils would achieve the 60 per cent and 40 per cent target in capital and recurrent expenditure by 2018.
According to him, the personnel cost of primary health care staff has been moved to the state Primary Health Care Development Agency, to reduce the burden on local councils’ finances.
“By so doing, 20 per cent element have been taken off from the 23 local government by the state government,” he said, adding that the councils would now be able to pay salaries without the difficulty.
