The Delta State Government has said that it would soon commence payments of its financial obligations to pensioners and workers cooperatives in the state.
The commissioner for Information, Mr Patrick Ukah, stated this in a statement in Asaba.
Ukah said in the statement that it was true that the state owed its pensioners but had paid workers wages promptly, except on check-off deductions for cooperatives and unions. It said the debt was not as alarming as portrayed, while reacting to a list of indebted states released by Budget, civil society organization that monitors budget implementation statistics in the country, which was widely published.
It said that Ukah revealed that the state was expecting a refund from the Federal Government and that when the refund is received, it would be utilized in addressing the financial obligations to pensioners and workers check-off deductions.
According to the statement, the commissioner blamed the situation on inherited debts, a drastic drop in federal allocations and the Niger Delta crisis that has negatively affected the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state.
On the 2016 budget performance, the statement disclosed that the overall picture reflected a 98 per cent budget performance.
It said that for the period from January to September, the budget performance in respect to personnel cost was 100 per cent, performance of overhead costs was 74 per cent, while consolidated revenue sharing was 100 per cent.
“On capital expenditure performance, if the period from January to September is considered, the budget performance was 24 per cent.
“It is also worthy to note that payments are still being make and by year end, the total budget performance would have appreciated beyond the 24 per cent.
“presently, the overall performance of the budget is 44 per cent but the proportional period of January to September total budget performance is 66 per cent.
‘We are optimistic that by the end of year, the overall budget performance would have considerably appreciated,” the statement added.