LASG urged to complete rail project to ease gridlock

A Financial Expert, Prince Kunle Quadri, on Wednesday urged the Lagos State Government to urgently complete the ongoing rail project to ease the continuous gridlock in Lagos city.

Quadri, who is a former President, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), gave the suggestion in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

Quadri said that N1.046 trillion budget for 2018 signed into law by Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday should be judiciously disbursed as when due to meet the numerous projects embarked by the government.

He noted that the total completion of the railway project would improve the business prospect and address the commuter challenges of the state.

“Conveying goods through a modern railway track will be much better in the state as it is the cheapest means of transportation and will accelerate more investment.

“Challenges associated with vehicular gridlocks will be reduced because the railway will convey a lot of people leading to fewer commuters and cars on the road,” he said.

He said that the state would meet its projected N897 billion internally generated revenue (IGR) in no distant time, should it complete its numerous projects because the people would be willing to pay.

Quadri, who is also a former President, West Africa Institute of Taxation, said that the state could generate more if the authorities could incorporate the artisan into the tax net successfully.

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“The people will be willing to meet their civic obligations if the state government is consistent with provision of public infrastructure and efficient mode of tax collections.

“The state has the potential of generating funds for development like any modern city of the world,” he said.

He added that as the government tried to develop the city, it should not neglect the hinterland of the state.

According to him, the 2018 budget should bring more development to the hinterland by investing more into those areas.

“Government should establish new hospitals, especially in the coastal areas of the state such as Epe and Ikorodu to draw government nearer to the people,” he said.

Gov. Ambode on Monday signed the 2018 Appropriation Bill of N1.046 trillion into law.

He said capital expenditure would gulp over N699 billion while N347 billion would be dedicated to recurrent expenditure.

The two figures represent a Capital/Recurrent ratio of 67 per cent to 33 per cent and a 28.67 per cent increase over the 2017 budget.