Fashola says 2020 budget will drive development of states

Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has described the 2020 budget as pro- people and pro-state, saying it would drive development in the states and enhance the well-being of the ordinary people.

Speaking when the Chief Executive Officer of TVC Communications, Mr. Andrew Hanlon paid him a courtesy visit in his office, Fashola said that the budget is pro-state because 85 per cent of the VAT being raised is going back to the states and local governments to take care of salaries and infrastructure investment, while the remaining 15 per cent goes to the federal government for infrastructure development.

Charging journalists and the general public to look more at the content of the budget instead of the numbers, the minister declared: “The budget presented on Tuesday; everybody is just looking at the numbers and how many people are doing the analysis aside the numbers?

“We focus more on developmental infrastructure; a completed road is a development drive, completed airport is also a development drive. These are the critical contents embedded in the budget not just the numbers.”

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He said that people should look at the clear statement of intent of the budget as pro-people budget of growing the economy, raising money and not hurting people through unfavourable tax regime.

The minister described the 2020 budget as laudable and charged the TVC Group and other media organisations to do critical analysis of the budget to enable them bring out the message to the general public.

Responding, TVC Communications CEO, Mr. Andrew Halon expressed the readiness of his organisation to partner with the ministry in disseminating quality news to its over seven million viewers.

He added that the organisation has invested a lot of money in infrastructure and human capacity development to improve on its services and make their channel more attractive to viewers.