TheCable

Udoma Udo Udoma, minister of budget and national planning, says the federal government has so far released N331.5 billion for capital projects from the 2016 budget.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by Adedeji Ajibade, director information of the ministry, the minister disclosed this at a town hall meeting on the “policy dialogue for good governance” organised by the ministry of information and culture.

Udoma listed the ministries that had already received the capital releases as: power, works and housing; defence and security; water resources, transportation, agriculture and Niger Delta.

The minister also disclosed that the 2017 budget would be submitted to the national assembly by October 2016.

He pointed out that the early preparation and submission of the budget to the national assembly would avoid delay in the presentation and implementation of the budget.

He said the 2016 budget was being used by the president to get the country’s economy back on stream.

He also added that the government’s social intervention programme was targeted at providing support to the poor and less-privileged citizens, especially women and vulnerable Nigerians.