Senate president, Ahmad Lawan has stated that the 2020
budget presented by President Buhari will be passed before the end of
2019.
Lawan, while addressing President Buhari at a joint session
of the National Assembly, explained that the aim is to ensure that Nigeria’s budget
cycle is returned to the January-December calendar year.
“The public, as well as the private sector, need a reliable
budget cycle that is predictable and reliable for planning and execution of
their financial policies and programmes.
It is, therefore, necessary that the present cycle is
changed to a January to December cycle. In this regard, the National Assembly
and the Executive must work together to ensure the realisation of this
important objective.
“In this regard, our committees will be expected to conclude
their work on budget defence within October this year, the subsequent necessary
legislative work will be carried out in November and December, leading to the
eventual passage before the end of this year,” he added.
The Senate President urged all Ministries, Departments and
Agencies to appear before the committees for the defence of their budget
estimate within October 2019.
“The National Assembly, after the receipt of the budget
estimate today will swing into swift action to start work, both chambers have
constituted their committees we are therefore ready to start processing the
budget estimate.
“In order for timely passage, all MDAs are expected to
appear before the committees for the defence of their budget estimate within
the month of October. We have earmarked the month of October to be the sole
window for all budget defence activities in this year by all MDAs.
“Clearly, this effort is to enable the FG provides those
laudable objectives of physical infrastructure and socio-economic services to
our citizens,” he said.
President Buhari on Tuesday presented the 2020 appropriation
bill termed as a budget of Fiscal Consolidation to strengthen Nigeria’s
macroeconomic environment.
