Sam Philip
In preparation for the 2025 budget designing, Ondo State government has interfaced with stakeholders from different sectors for them to make their input into the budget.
Market women and men, artisans, youths, students were invited by the state Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget to make the demands and expectations known in order to accommodate them in the 2025 fiscal budget.
In his welcome address at the Consultative Meeting on 2025-2027 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and 2025 budget Preparation, the Administrative Secretary, Economic Planning and Coordinating Office, Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Bamidele John Daisi, explained that the reason for inviting the stakeholders is to ensure their needs are taken care of in the budget.
Representing the state Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Pastor Emmanuel Igbasan, Mr. Daisi said the state government also wants to know how a budget would intervene in the businesses of the people and provide platforms for youths and students to bring their potentialities to bear.
In a breakdown of the 2024 budget, Mr. Stephen Aworere, Administrative Secretary of the Budget Office, revealed that the fuel subsidy removal and floating of exchange rate substantially affected the implementation of the budget.
He said the state government in its projection while preparing 2024 budget, pegged the exchange rate at N750/$.
According to Aworere, the inflation was also pegged at 21 percent, but food inflation in Ondo State is currently 43 percent even when the Federal Government said it’s 34 percent.
He said: “So, it has altered the basic structure of the budget. In 2025, Government will focus on food security, human capacity building, producing entrepreneurs, and will diversify the state economy.”
In their comments, the stakeholders emphasised that if government wants prices of commodities and services to come down, government must patronise the market women and men, artisans and others.
They demanded that Government should introduce capacity development, local content and engage in Private Partnership Initiative(PPI).
They also demanded that
Oyarugbilem industrial Park should be rehabilitated by the state government. They said the toilet and water facilities should be repaired and solar power lamps should be installed in the park.
They urged the state government to organise Trade Fair in the state for fabricators and other artisans to showcase their products.
Youths, students and people living with disabilities were among those the stakeholders who made presentations at the meeting.