Ms. Florence Olasumbo Oyeyemi, 33, Kwara State Finance Commissioner, talks about the monetary engineering that has made progress in the state possible and also about issues. Excerpts from Sulaimon Olanrewaju.
You asked for an adjustment in the Kwara state budget this year. Why is there a need for this?
We had a budget for 2021 that was ready and enacted in January 2021. During COVID, we saw the desire to invest in the progression of primary infrastructure that will animate the state’s economy, requiring the structure of factories, industries, and full operation. of companies. and very well within the state. And knowing very well how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the state’s finances and how it has even affected the returns of IGR due to the closure and the corporations that do not carry out the complete paperwork as they used to do before COVID-19, we want to locate others tactics to fund some of our plans, some of our policies, or some of the things that are in line with our progression plan for the state. That is why we seek to enter the unconventional market to factor a bond. We started the remedy last year, and then this year the budget started coming in, and in the end there is an expectation that before finishing those budgets it is mandatory that those budgets be allocated. This has led us, therefore, to have a new budget that will accommodate the new unforeseen budget at the beginning of the year, which despite everything arrived in the year. Basically the explanation why we had a new budget during the year was to accommodate the bond facility.
It is reported that his government is creating industries and factories with part of the proceeds of the bonds. Is that true?
There are a number of things we would like to do in the state, many things that go in conjunction with the manifesto of His Excellency, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Governor of Kwara State and also in conjunction with his policy and the way he inhales a trend to direct the economic progression of the state. So some of the things we do are have agri-food processing industries, we have an innovation center; we have a film factory and a clothing factory, employment-oriented projects, which also have a tendency to generate more GIR for the State, and projects aimed at stimulating investment for the State, foreign direct investment for the State. the things we tend to use the facility for.
You prioritized the new minimum wage in your this year, have you implemented it?
We have implemented the minimum wage. And they are receiving bills as of February of this year.
You prioritized generational reforms in the school sector in your budget, can you communicate that?
We recently wrapped up the Kwara Education Summit where global education resolution makers came to speak and give input on how we intend or how more productive it is to execute our education formula. public education. The press release is incorporated into an implementation plan. And this implementation plan has to do with many things, and one of them is virtual learning and e-learning for schools, and even as a component of the UBEC Schools project, the governor has provided a counterpart investment, and This counterpart investment has allowed us to take credit for the schooling and re-schooling of some teachers in the public school formula, to implement the e-learning formula of the 21st century and that they can really move to study rooms to the students. Also for e-learning, we are signing many projects around schooling and the most productive way to stimulate virtual learning. One of the things that the Innovation Center will do for us, but still get other people to lead something close to Silicon Valley in Kwara, we will also allow our students, our own young people, to get involved, to get them involved in some of the things that We do. Even now that the construction of the Innovation Center is not fully installed, we have involved our other young people in quite a few virtual education programs. So we don’t mess with eLearning and virtual learning, we are moving there and it literally shows in our study rooms. Even the ministry now has a decomposer that will be guilty of tracking, updating and implementing the e-learning advancements of the 21st century.
What sustainability plan do you have for your social programs?
The social investment program is very expensive for Your Excellency, it actually targets vulnerable groups, making sure that they have access to budget for companies, that they have access to budget to sustain their livelihoods, since their arrival on board when we started the full implementation of this program at the end of 2019 has given optimal results, the formula we use to administer this social investment program is supported and controlled through the Bank of Industries, so it is more like what is happening at the national point that has been sustainable over the years since the arrival of the president; has been sustainable over the years, so ours also follows the same model, we use the same model, even in a more reformed procedure of budget disbursement for the collection of knowledge, for the management of funds, for the audit of funds, as well as for the procedure of transparency and accountability the formula, so it’s a long program.
To what extent is there tension in Kwara State due to social investment programs?
Part of His Excellency’s political direction is the control of other people-centered systems. Running a program that other people will benefit from, regardless of where they are or who they are similar to, is a non-partisan type of program that is very objective. Now, as that is your goal, we intend to budget for you at all times. I’m not saying we don’t have budget problems. It occurs in all states, but we do not hesitate because it is something His Excellency has promised to do. And it continued in that line, even during COVID, for example, when we had the confinement. It was an opportunity for us to succeed with Okada brokers, carriers and merchants who were unable to go into business as usual. We all knew what the finances of the states were like and we also worried about all other types of expenses, unforeseen expenses during COVID, but we continue to meet this requirement because it is our mandate for other people, for which we have to fight. Shake hands with other people and make other people care, and other people enjoy the government dividends and affirm the promises of Your Excellency. So because this is something that is close to our hearts, no matter how bad or tight the state’s fiscal scenario is, we will check as much as imaginable to run our other people-centric systems so that the fate of our other people can be improved.
Are you in the position that Kwara State is in the FAAC table?
I’m certainly not happy. Since the arrival of our management, we have been going back and forth to make sure we are at the allocation table. It is not because we should beg to be displaced, but it is our right to be displaced. Apparently the last address did not do what it deserved. There was a review at some point before 2018 to move the states to wherever they are, because from the indices taken into account for their position in the attribution table, those come with social investment, land mass, population, hospital beds and the IGR. So when you look at all of this, the state has taken a step forward over the years, especially since taking over from Governor AbdulRazaq. Since our arrival, there have been many innovations in our IGR, in our transparency index, in our responsibility index and all that. We have accomplished a lot and Your Excellency has invested a lot in infrastructure development. We have more than enough hospital beds; more hospitals are being renovated. So we have done a lot. Unfortunately, I believe that the 2018 review that was done had not been implemented to date. That is why we are where we are, but we all know and they also know that we are not meant to be there. We have done some review exercises, some consultation sessions and we hope that before very soon there will be a review from the board and indeed we are going to move up in the ranks because we really deserve to be on top.
In your opinion, what are the highlights of your achievements at the Ministry of Finance?
One of the highlights we’ve had in the Department of Finance is that we’ve been able to scale up an economic sustainability plan for the Crown, and we’ve also tracked and passed laws that publicize our transparency and accountability index. able to publish a report on citizen responsibility to the public. And we have also frequently published our quarterly budget execution report, to inform others of our current situation, our progress and our goals before the end of the year. The branch’s accomplishments come with the timely publication of all approvals for the wishes of contractors and state governments, and we have never paid outdoor wages for the months of the year. they are paid in full, which is a smart thing for this state.
Is there any pressure on you as a user to do this work?
I wouldn’t say there’s no tension. Even if I don’t feel it, I’m under stress. I’m not under stress because I’m a young user yet because I’m a woman. I am the first female commissioner of State Finance; really, I’m the youngest finance commissioner in the state.
How to citizens?
This is another smart thing that is also one of your Excellency’s achievements because we initiated the commitments of citizens when he took office as governor of the state.
We didn’t do it before. We started in 2019, and for the ministry we registered youth groups. We have registered NGOs, we have registered CBOs, CSOs in all local governments, and some NGOs and CBOs are targeting a specific issue. Some include women, others include other young people. Some are widowed, some are in poverty eradication, some are in education. We have them in other sections. So we have a coalition of all these groups, we have their knowledge and their places in the ministry. So, whenever we want to have citizen participation, we take it at the grassroots. So all the district representatives come in combination to make their presentation and apart from that we also have a comment form or a comment form on our website where other people can write about what they want and quote. So we have a physical citizen engagement, and we also have an online platshape on the state’s online page where other people can comment and write what they want on the budget. Therefore, we could not possibly accommodate everything, but up to a certain percentage influences our decision-making process by making sure that we are spending the budget on what other people want and not on what we think they are. wish.
Can you do more with the state’s IGR? If so, what would you do to make that happen?
You know there is room for improvement, and the state Internal Revenue Service has done a lot to generate profits. We’ve been able to identify a lot of leaks through some of the approaches they’ve taken since the arrival of this administration, and this has also increased. Forward the profit generated internally in the state, but as I said, there is room for improvement, so we continue to grow, for example, some of the projects that are targeted through the bond will also have to generate profits for the government. all those projects come into effect, we will be like Lagos and we will also generate a lot of profit, much more than we are generating lately.
SHOCKING LIFE STORY !!! The secret (free) culmination of Abuja Man that has a longer Duration of Manh0d and lasting strength in just 7 days. . . CLICK HERE TO GET IT !!!