The Ministry of Finance has disclosed that it will be spending the bulk of the World Bank loan of $5.6 million on stationery.
News About Nigeria gathered that the loans were approved under the State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability, and Sustainability project, which was initiated in 2018.
Some of the items the finance ministry plans on purchasing with the $5.6 million loan obtained include office stationery, furniture, a solar inverter, office equipment, and vehicles.
It was gathered that a total of $1.5 billion was committed to the project in two batches of $750 million (December 2018 and December 2020) by the World Bank.
The Communications Specialist of the State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability, SFTAS, Ibrahim Mohammed, however, noted that the purchase was a regular procedure, as it was important for items to be purchased for proposed projects.
“When a programme starts, there is procurement of the basic items needed for the jobs. So, procurement was made in terms of providing furniture for the office, ICT infrastructure, and the rest. They are all for the use of the office, not the ministry or department,” he said.
Mohammed, who disclosed that the office is situated in the Home Finance Department of the Ministry of Finance, further maintained that the salaries for all consultants also come from the fund, adding that the jobs of consultants are important as they offer technical assistance to the states.
He also stated that the procurement plan is in line with the World Bank’s Procurement Guidelines which establish the arrangements to be made for procuring the goods and works (including related services) required for a project.
