Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State on Monday presented a 2015 budget proposal of N489.69bn to the state House of Assembly for consideration.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the amount was the same as that of 2014.
The breakdown shows that education got N82.11bn or 16.6 per cent as against N77.42bn or 15. 81 per cent recorded in 2014.
Environmental protection got a vote of N34.95bn or 7.1 per cent instead of N39.72bn or 8.11 per cent it was allocated in 2014.
Recreation, culture and religion got N3.12bn or 0.6 per cent as against N3.48bn or 0.71 per cent in 2014.
Housing and community amenities got N49.03bn or 10 per cent as against N50.54bn or 10.32 per cent in 2014, while health was allocated N44.62bn or 9.1 per cent instead of N37.81bn or 7.72 per cent it was voted in 2014.
Public order and safety got N15.55bn or 3.2 per cent instead of N17.98bn or 3.67 per cent it got in 2014, while social protection recorded N1.59bn or 0.3 per cent as against N2.47bn or 0.50 per cent in 2014.
Fashola said the budget size was retained in order to keep zero deficit for the incoming government.
Fashola will be leaving office in May 2015 after completing two terms of eight years.
“We have retained the same budget size of 2014 to keep zero deficit. This will give the administration the room to start up very quickly,’’ he said.
He added that the 2015 budget would focus on payment of contractors’ liabilities to enable the government to complete as many projects as possible before handing over to the next administration.
“For example, out of the 400 roads that we promised, we have completed over 190 in the last three years, with 210 at various advanced stages.
“The onset of dry weather provides the opportunity to complete all of them,” he said. NAN
