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Plateau: Lalong Signs N147bn 2021 Budget Into Law
Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong on Thursday signed the N147bn 2021 budget into law.
The Governor also signed the state anti-kidnapping law.
The Governor’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, Dr Macham Makut disclosed this to The Punch in Jos on Friday.
According to him, the State House of Assembly increased the 2021 appropriation bill to over N147bn from the N133bn earlier presented to it by Governor Lalong.
“The adjustment in the figure was done by the lawmakers to accommodate more interests before passing the bill which has now been signed into law by the governor,” he said.
According to him, the governor while signing the 2021 bill into law consisting of N90.19 billion as recurrent and N57.34 billion as capital expenditures pointed out that the budget will focus on areas that will stimulate economic growth and recovery particularly as the year begins under the second wave of COVID-19 which has affected the economy adversely.
He said, “With the successful passage of the 2021 budget within record time, we shall now settle down to implement the budget vigorously. As we face the second wave of COVID-19, we shall continue to appeal to our people to observe all protocols so that we do not have any reason to lock down again and further hurt the economy”.
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Lalong said the government will in the 2021 fiscal year support businesses that will hopefully grow and in turn pay taxes especially now that the state has signed into law the new tax law for development.
On the anti-kidnapping, anti-land grabbing, cultism and other anti-violence related matters bill also passed by the House of Assembly, the governor said the law is long overdue because of the increase in kidnapping, land grabbing and other violent crimes within the State.
Lalong in a statement said the law provides death sentence for those convicted for kidnapping while those found guilty of cultism shall be jailed for a minimum of 7 years. Others involved in meting out violence on anyone risk spending up to ten years in jail upon conviction.
He said, “As a responsible government, we cannot fold our arms to see people being terrorized by criminals who are clearly out to cause mayhem. This new law will deal with anyone caught in the act and I urge security agencies to be on their toes and ensure that culprits are apprehended and made to face the law”.
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