Bayelsa Targets N1.5b Monthly Revenue As Governor Signs N314.4b 2022 Budget

Bayelsa State governor, Senator Douye Diri, has charged those entrusted with the responsibility of collecting revenue in the state to do more to increase the state’s revenue profile from one billion naira to N1.5 billion monthly.

Governor Diri gave the charge on Thursday, when he signed into law the state’s 2022 Appropriation Bill, which was passed by the House of Assembly.

He stated that his administration was working towards moving away from dependence on federal allocations by improving the state’s internally generated revenue.

Governor Diri assented to the bill in his office in Government House, Yenegoa.

The governor had in October presented to the assembly the bill tagged “Budget of Sustainable Growth” with the appropriated sum of N310,727,608,362.

But the assembly had increased the figure to N314.4 billion.

The governor said: “The budget was laid on the floor of the house on October 20, 2021.

“It went through the legislative processes of lawmaking. It has gone through the scrutiny of the eagle eyes of the legislators and I’m happy that I have given my assent to this bill this 30th day of December 2021.

“The total budget for 2022 is as follows: Three hundred and fourteen billion, four hundred and sixty five million, eighteen thousand, nine hundred and ninety seven naira.

“We have to work as a government to move away from dependence on federal allocations, which has characterised our state government over the years. Therefore, I like to charge the officials in charge of revenue collection to ensure that in 2022 we have better figures of internally generated revenue in our state. The current revenue falls far too short of the expectations of the state government.”