Senate To Pass 2016 Budget On February 25

CHAIRMAN of the Appropri­ation Committee in the Senate, Danjuma Goje, said yesterday the Upper Legistative Chamber would pass the 2016 national budget on February 25.

The Senate concluded week-long debate on the budget yes­terday. It suspended plenary to allow the standing committees of the Red Chamber fine-tune the document while summon­ing the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to come forward and defend their esti­mates. They have two weeks to do so.

Briefing reporters after ple­nary, Senator Goje re-echoed the earlier position of the Sen­ate leadership to pass the bud­get on February 25.

“The Senate has just con­cluded the debate on the gen­eral principles of the 2016 budget and has been referred to Appropriation Committee for necessary action,” Goje said, adding that, “the committee will send circulars to all other committees which are seen as sub-committees.”

Goje said: “The committees are expected to commence pub­lic hearing on the budget from various departments and agen­cies immediately. Two weeks from tomorrow (today) will be devoted for budget defence. That is till February 11.

“The next process will be concluded on February 18 and that will be handled by the Ap­propriation Committee. We are expected to lay our com­mittee report of the budget on Wednesday, February 24, 2016. The Senate will pass it on Thursday, February 25, 2016.

“This will give the Federal Government 10-month period to implement the budget. We want a departure from the past where implementation is de­layed. This is a government of change and we want to do things differently.

“Plenary will be suspended for two weeks to allow for com­mittees to meet with the various government agencies,” he said.

According to a breakdown of the timetable, the meeting of sub-committees on Appropria­tion with MDAs will take place from today, January 28 till Feb­ruary 11.

Meanwhile, the Presidency has hailed the smooth consideration of the 2016 budget and its passage for Second Reading.

Special Assistant to the Pres­ident on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, told correspondents that President Muhammadu Buhari was pleased with the bipartisan consideration of the budget.