Tuesday, February 11, 2025
spot_imgspot_imgspot_imgspot_img
HomeNewsNG-CARES REIMBURSEMENT: QUESTIONS AS KADUNA STATE IS MISSING

NG-CARES REIMBURSEMENT: QUESTIONS AS KADUNA STATE IS MISSING

By Yusuf Ishaku Goje

Tongues are wagging. Many are concerned. Questions are being asked. Why is Kaduna missing in the recent disbursement of N438.4 billion to 34 States and FCT by the Federal government? Anambra is the only other State missing in the third independent verification assessment reimbursement. What or who is responsible? What measures have been put in place to avoid such an embarrassing reoccurrence?

While other States, with Zamfara leading the way with N49.2 billion and the least being Ogun with N2.1 billion, Kaduna State got nothing across the three (3) Result Areas and eleven (11) Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs). This is disturbing coming at a time when the State is fiscally constrained and made worse with the rising vulnerable population of the unemployed, poor and hungry.

More so, when the NG-CARES programme development objective seeks to expand access to livelihood support and food security services and grants for poor and vulnerable households and firms. Kaduna State implemented zero disbursement linked indicators (DLIs), according to the report of the Validation of the 3rd Round Performance of the States and FCT under the NG-CARES Programme as Assessed by Independent Verification Agent (IVA).

The reimbursement to the States and FCT is under the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Programme for results. The World Bank supported intervention, now renamed Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus, has a credit portfolio of $750 million. These funds are reimbursed for carrying-out interventions tied to the DLIs.

The NG-CARES programme has 6 main Delivery Platforms (DLIs): DLI 1: Increased Access to Liquidity for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs); DLI 2: Strengthening Agricultural Value Chains; DLI 3: Support for the Poor and Vulnerable; DLI 4: Support for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Informal Sector; DLI 5: Fiscal Transparency, Accountability, and Sustainability; and DLI 6: Human Capital Development and Labour Market.

Interestingly, in the 2023 revised budget about N4.2 billion was allocated for the NG-CARES Programme under the State Planning and Budget Commission. As at the 3rd quarter of the year about N3.6 billion, 85.1%, was reported to have been released. While, in the 2024 approved budget, about N1.5 billion has been allocated to the NG-CARES programme. We need to know: Were there timely and adequate budget releases to the implementing MDAs? Were the releases cash-backed? Were the cash-backing utilized for the interventions.

While we wait for the government to account for what happened, it is worthy of note that the challenge of budget releases without cash-backing for NG-CARES/KAD-CARES interventions tied to the disbursement linked indicators, has repeatedly become prominent during the quarterly budget tracking analysis/score-card carried-out by a civil society coalition on social protection (KADSPAC) in the State.

Now that we have found ourselves in this disturbing and avoidable situation, we hope that the embarrassing performance will serve as valuable lessons going forward. All hands must be on deck to ensure we do not have a repeat in future incentivized programmes for results. Lastly, there is a need for increased transparency and accountability in the implementation of the NG-CARES programme.

Lets engage, ask the right questions and hold the government accountable. @highlight

Goje is an active citizen, civil society member and OGP enthusiast

RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisment -
Google search engine

Most Popular

Recent Comments

sildenafil generic australia on Abandoned IDP Camp Discovered In Kaduna
Daniel Grace on WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY
Danjuma Saddiq on THE CONSPIRACY IN SOKOTO
Yakkon Damaryam on The War against Glaucoma
Shehu Danbaki on IMG-20181125-WA0070
Seth Yamusa on Hon Danjuma Peter Averik
Ibraheem Awowole on MEET OUR PATHFINDER FOR OSUN 2018
Amb. Hoom'Suk. on Sarauniya Beauty Pageant 2017