PUBLIC BUDGETING AND FISCAL IMPLEMENTATION: EVIDENCE FROM EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE DELIVETY IN SOUTHEAST ZONE, NIGERIA BETWEEN 2015-2025
Keywords:
Public Budget, Fiscal, Implementation, education, Health, Delivery, Southeast and NigeriaAbstract
This study examined public budget and fiscal implementation: effects on education and health delivery in Southeast zone, Nigeria between 2015-2025. The main objective of the study is to assess the extent to which approved budgetary allocations have proportionally translated in the improvement of service delivery with special focus on education and health sectors. The study adopted a survey design. Theoretically, the study was anchored on Incremental budgetary theory propounded by Wembledon 1968. Data was obtained from both primary and secondary design methods. A total sample size of 400 was selected from the study area using both purposive and Taro-Yamani 1967. Both mean score and standard deviation were used to answer the responses on the public budget and fiscal implementation on education and healthcare delivery in the study area while Regression was used to test the two hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that poor monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, the consistent discrepancies between the approved allocation and the actual released expenditure and poor fiscal implementation has seriously undermines service delivery resulting in declining in quality education and healthcare delivery in Southeast zone. The implication of these findings suggests poor monitoring and evaluation fiscal implementation undermines service delivery. In light of the above, the paper recommended that should timely release of the budget allocation to enable the concerned ministries to effectively execute their programmes. There is the need for effective reform to enhance the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms on budget and fiscal implementation. Also, that performance based budgeting systems should be adopted to improve fiscal implementation in the Southeast zone.References
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