Senators yesterday frowned on the poor funding of capital projects in the 2014 budget, following complains made by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that appropriated funds were not released for implementation of projects.
The Committee on Aviation observed that funds were partially released to MDAs, and where funds were released, same was done without being cash backed.
The Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau, one of such agencies which lamented the poor funding of capital projects, said that though N35 million was budgeted for the Construction of Flight Equipment Laboratory, not all the money was accessed in 2013.
The bureau said the development necessitated that the project be rolled over into the 2014 Budget.
Commissioner of the AIPB, Engineer Felix A. Abali, told the Committee that only N4.5 million was released for the project last year and in the 2014 budget N45million has been proposed for its completion, saying that when completed, accident investigation would be faster.
Majority of the MDAs that appeared before the Senate Committees to defend their 2014 budget in the Senate complained of poor funding both in the 2013 and 2014 budgets, respectively.
Most of them faulted the envelop system, which had become a tradition in the nation’s budgetary process, a situation whereby the Budget Office allocates whatever it deemed fit for the various MDAs, irrespective of the actual needs of the establishment.
