Gombe Deepens Programme-Based Budgeting To Boost Fiscal Discipline
Akudiang Comfort, Jos
Gombe State has restated its commitment to strengthening programme-based budgeting as it works on the 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), a move aimed at promoting fiscal discipline, transparency and results-oriented spending.
Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Salihu Baba Alkali, made this known on Monday while declaring open a five-day workshop on the MTEF, Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) and Budget Policy Statement (BPS) at Villa Grande Hotel, Jos, Plateau State.
Alkali said Gombe first adopted the MTEF and programme-based budgeting in 2018, with the current exercise marking the eighth review of the framework.
He explained that the state was determined to consolidate past gains and further entrench a culture of result-driven budgeting across ministries, departments, and agencies.
“This document provides clear guidance to MDAs on how to prepare their budgets,” he said. “It will improve financial management, strengthen accountability and ultimately raise the living standards of our people.”
He added that the workshop would equip participants with the skills to produce a credible MTEF aligned with the state’s Development Plan 2021–2030, describing fiscal discipline as the backbone of sustainable economic planning.
The commissioner commended UNICEF for its continuous support in strengthening public financial management systems and praised Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for reforms that, he noted, have positioned Gombe as a model in fiscal responsibility.
“This training is crucial to ensuring that our budgeting process aligns with national priorities and supports decisions that drive growth and development,” Alkali said.
Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Jalo Ali, said the MTEF and FSP are key tools for resource mobilisation and allocation, and urged participants, especially treasury and audit officers, to engage actively.
“This workshop is a vital step towards keeping our budgeting process credible, inclusive and in tune with both global best practices and the realities of the fiscal environment,” he stated.