FG Allocates $3.36trn For Subsidy In 2023

The Federal Government has said that $3.36 trillion was allocated for subsidy payments in 2023. OduNews reports.

The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, who made this known on Wednesday in Abuja, also disclosed that the country’s debt profile now stands at $102 billion while also revealing that the 2023 budget proposal has a budget deficit of 10.78 trillion naira.

She said this will be funded through domestic and multilateral borrowings and proceeds from privatisation.

According to her, of Nigeria’s $102bn debt, 35% is foreign and 65% is domestic, adding that the current public debt is at 23% of the country’s gross domestic product.

The minister also said the 2023 budget also factored in 17.16% inflation.

According to her, the draft 2023 budget has been prepared on the background of international challenges such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that revenue generation has been a major challenge to national development in the country.

On the allocations for critical sectors, she said the sum of 2.05 trillion naira is allocated to education and 1.58 trillion naira to health.

She added that 2.74 trillion naira is allocated to defence and security, infrastructure got 998.9 billion naira while social development and poverty reduction has 756 billion naira.