Enugu State government has set aside four Billion naira (N4billion) for remodeling, reconstruction and completion of abandoned Hotel Presidential Enugu and International Conference Centre, Enugu.
The State Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Chris Ozongwu who announced this to journalists at the NUJ Press’s Centre Enugu during the break down of the 2024 budget said the projects were important to the state as revenue generating assets.
The budget, he said, tends to generate and allocate resources that aimed to disrupt traditional economic norms in the state, through technological advancement.
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Some other outstanding projects in the state budget includes allocation of N13 billion for establishment of Enugu Air Fight via Public Private partnership, and N2 Billion for the construction of one Ultra mordern Regional bus park and N4 billion concession of ENTRACO through PPP, among others.
The budget also provided for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation with N21.9 billion , with N21 billion for clearing and development of 1000,000 hectares of land for special crop processing agricultural zones
He said: “In view of the anticipated rise in federal accounts transfer as a result of rise in oil price at international market, priority will however, be given prudent management of public funds, plugging of revenue leakages in IGR through compulsory use of pay direct system in all government transactions as well as the creation of investor-friendly environment.”
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He further said that the budget would serve as policy and financial tool that reflects the vision and mission of the state governor’s agenda and objective.
According to him, the budget is geared towards achieving job creation, social service, infrastructure and development in important sectors of the economy such as provision of safe drinking water, Health, Education, works and housing, security and environmental sanitation.
Speaking to the size of the budget and how to raise fund to meet the numerous activities without overbearing tax on the residents and business operators, chairman of Enugu State Revenue Board, Emmanuel Nnamani explained that the state does not intend to increase the tax payable by organisation in the state by even a penny but only wants to expand their scope in collecting tax.
