National Assembly Set To Pass 2021 Budget

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has disclosed that the National Assembly will on Monday hold a special session to pass the 2021 budget.

Lawan made this known on Wednesday during plenary following a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi from APC – Kebbi North; and seconded by the Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe from PDP – Abia South

According to the Senate President, the delay in the passage of the budget was to allow the Appropriations Committee to include a late request for additional expenditures from the Executive arm of government.

AllNews recalls that the Federal Government had Tuesday written the National Assembly to demand a fresh review of the 2020 Appropriation Act.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, particularly asked the National Assembly to extend the expiration date of the capital component of the 2020 budget.

Lawan told his colleagues that the parliament resolved to take certain legislative decisions in order to ensure the January to December budget cycle.

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“Our Committee on Appropriation has been working round the clock. We had planned to receive the report of the Committee on Appropriations today, but there was a late request for some more expenditures from the Executive arm of Government, and we want to ensure that our Committee does work to produce a clean document, so they can’t present this document today.

“However, the Committee has said the report will be ready by the weekend. Consequently, we will hold a special session on Monday, the 21st of December, 2020, just to consider and pass the budget 2021.

“This is in keeping with our legislative agenda of ensuring that the annual budget has a January to December cycle. We did that last year, and by the grace of God, we will do it again,” Lawan said.

Meanwhile, the Senate on Wednesday stepped down the consideration of the Conference Committee Report 2021 – 2023 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).

The request to step down consideration of the 2021 – 2023 MTEF report till Thursday was moved by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi; and seconded by the Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe.