By Eunice Nnachi, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State government has
rejected the 2022 Financial Responsibility report as it failed to rely on key financial instruments that are legitimate, equitable and sustainable
The government said the recent 2022 Financial Responsibility report on the sustainability of the 36 States of the Federation by BudgiT, is merely a rehash of last year’s ranking.
This was contained in a statement issued and signed by the
Honourable Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Maxwell Ebibai to newsmen in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state.
According to Ebibai, the report is not only faulty but, relies on tangential parameters inconsistent with economic fundamentals..
The state reads in part, “Our reaction then as now is that not only is this report faulty but relies on tangential parameters inconsistent with economic fundamentals.
“As before, the current report erroneously depended on opaque data and criteria bordering largely on the ability of a state to meet its operating expenses (recurrent expenditure) with only its Internally Generated Revenue.
“The very notion of creating a dichotomy between “Federal Allocations” and “Internally Generated Revenue” is a misnomer that is adding insult to painful injury as, over the years, we have protested the absence of true fiscal federalism and inequity of the revenue-sharing formula that robs states like Bayelsa in favour of the collective.
“It is incomprehensible not to appreciate that oil and gas are produced at a significant opportunity cost to states and that the derivation revenue compensates for such brutal environmental degradation.
“As a government, we protested the 2021 ranking as being defective for excluding key revenue sources such as mineral oil derivation funds in the analysis, a position the BudgiT team acquiesced to.
“We are again bewildered that they returned to this cynical profiling.
It should be worrisome to BudgiT that the huge revenue that should accrue to Bayelsa State from taxes of oil multinationals operating in the state were being paid to states where the companies have their offices domiciled.
“Notwithstanding the disequilibrium, we are happy to state unequivocally that the financial standing and sustainability of Bayelsa State are sound and not in any jeopardy as the government can comfortably meet its obligations, including regular payment of salaries and pensions.
“It is also disturbing that a state with a low debt profile that is effectively managing its financial liabilities would be ranked low against states with a higher debt profile. More so, we are clearing the debts.
“On biometric capturing of the state’s civil servants, we have successfully concluded the process to achieve payroll transparency. Following from this, salaries are paid promptly usually by the 25th day of the month.
“The government continues to invest in human capital development and empowerment programmes, without neglecting critical financially demanding infrastructure projects such as the Yenagoa-Oporoma Road and Bridges, the Sagbama-Ekeremor Road with seven bridges and the Nembe-Brass Road with 10 bridges as well as other critical big-tickets projects across the state that will stir its economic life.
“It should be noted that states with limited federal presence are inherently disadvantaged with the ranking methodology where facilities like ports give a clear edge to some states.
“For a fair analysis and a more comparable measure of fiscal sustainability, BudgiT should expand its indices to cover derivation revenue as IGR in future profiling.
“We are, therefore, in strong disagreement with the ranking as released by BudgiT, and wish to state categorically that Bayelsa State Government rejects the report as it failed to rely on key financial instruments that are legitimate, equitable and sustainable,” he said.
