The Katsina State Government has budgeted the sum of N17,912,231,618.30 to be expended on pension and gratuity of its retirees in the 2024 fiscal year.

The state Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Bello Kagara, unveiled this to journalists while presenting the state’s proposed 2024 budget breakdown at the Old Government House.

Governor Dikko Umaru Radda had a fortnight ago, presented the 2024 budget proposal of N454,308,862,113.96, christened: ‘Building Your Future I’ to the state House of Assembly for scrutiny and consideration.

Kagara explained that the pension and gratuity of the state’s senior citizens would gulp N17,912,231,618.30, while N38,557,668,760.40 was proposed for personnel cost and salaries payment, totalling N56,469,900,378.70.

He said the 2024 budget estimate, which has 72.63 per cent as capital expenditure and 27.37 per cent recurrent expenditure, was comparatively higher than that of 2023 by N153,675,604,150.96 representing an increase of 51.11 per cent.

He said: “The proposed 2024 budget comprised recurrent expenditure of N124,329,900,378.70 broken down as follows: personnel cost/Crf salaries, N38,557,668,760.40; pension and gratuity, N17,912,231,618.30, totalling N56,469,900,378.70.

“Other recurrent expenditure: debt servicing, self-sustained, revenue and overhead cost is N67,859,443,139.29, totalling N124,329,343,517.99. While capital expenditure is to the tune of N329,979,518,595.97.”

Culled from ThisDay