Senate To Begin Debate On Budget Next Week
Senate President Bukola Saraki has announced that members of the Senate would begin the consideration of the general principles of the 2018 budget next week.
Making the announcement, on Thursday at the commencement of the day’s legislative business, Saraki called on his colleagues who intend to make contributions to write their names.
Saraki also said copies of the bill would be made available to senators by Monday.
He said the debate would commence, on Wednesday, November 22 and end on Thursday, November 23.
After the debate, the budget would be referred to the Senate Committee on Appropriation, headed by Senator Danjuma Goje (APC-Gombe Central).
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi-Abdullahi, while briefing journalists, said the bill is a voluminous document, hence the late distribution of copies to the lawmakers.
When reminded that the 2018-2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper was still pending in the National Assembly, Sabi-Abdullahi said the budget and the MTEF would be processed simultaneously.
President Muhammadu Buhari last week presented a budget proposal of N8.6 trillion for the year 2018 to a joint session of the National Assembly.
