By Pam Moses

Plateau State House of Assembly had on Thursday passed the 2019 appropriation bill of over N153.5 billion.

Viewpoint reports that the budget was jerked up with N4.8 billion from initial sized of N148.7billion presented by Gov. Simon Lalong on 24th December, 2018.

The passing of the bill followed the presentation of a report of the House standing Committee on Appropriations.

The Assembly set aside N68 billion for expenditure and N85 billion for Recurrent expenditure.

Presenting the report, Hon. Adamu Yahaya chairman of the committee Appropriation said the House interfaced with various Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) while scrutinising the budget.
Yahaya said adjustments were made in some areas considered critical with believe of sourcing for more revenues to finance them

“Mr Speaker, the committee recommended that all salaries of newly employed, deployed and transferred staff that were not reflected be captured in the 2019 budget.

He said the committee observed that the salaries of newly employed staff of most Ministries were not captured in the 2019 Appropriation bill.

The chairman further decried the low patronage of government printing press, Plateau Publishing Company, Plateau Club/Hotels, Youth Centers, Cultural by MDAs which according to him has negatively affected the revenue base of Plateau state.

The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Joshua Madaki , who Presided over the plenary however directed the Clerk of the House to send a clean copy of the approved budget to the Governor Simon Lalong for his assent.

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Plateau Assembly passes N153.5 billion budget