Kwara wins $16.9m World Bank grant

The Kwara state government has won $16.9 million dollars in the 2019/2020 World Bank supported states fiscal transparency, accountability and sustainability (SFTAS) programme for results.

The achievement is said to be the highest ever achieved by the state since the initiative began in 2018, according to a statement released on Tuesday by Saad Hamdalat, press secretary, ministry of finance and planning.

She explained that Kwara satisfied the disbursements linked indicators (DLIs) as contained in the annual performance assessment (APA) final report, submitted by the independent verification agents (IVA) that had earlier visited the state.

“The DLIs include improved financial reporting and budget reliability, increased citizens engagement in the budget process; strengthened Internally Generated Revenues (IGR); biometric and BVN used to reduce payroll fraud, strengthened public debt management, improved debt sustainability and implementation of a tax compliance for individual taxpayers and businesses,” the statement read.

“This will also strengthen procurement functions for COVID-19 or emergency situations and facilitate participation of SMEs in public procurement resilient recovery phase and publication and approval of amended COVID-19 response budget.

“The import of the foregoing is that the state is eligible to the total sum of $16,900,000 representing performance-based grant for 2019 APA, with an earlier disbursement of $5m in November.

“Of the balance of $11.9m, the state has received additional $9.4m on Monday January 4 and awaits the balance of $2.5m later in the month.”

Kwara wins $16.9m in SFTAS achievements for 2019/2020
·Gets N795m PAYE refunds; explains review of budget figure pic.twitter.com/0oXYxiLcJ1

— Kwara State Government (@followKWSG) January 5, 2021