Senate may Pass 2020 budget November 28

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan disclosed on Tuesday that the report of the 2020 budget will be laid in Senate by November 28, 2019.

This means that if the Senate Appropriation Committee is able to present the report as expected, the budget may be passed by the Senate on same day.

The Senate sub-committees have so far rounded up their budget defence before the standing committee on appropriation.

Ahmad Lawan said on Tuesday during plenary that the Senate will receive the report of the entire 2020 budget from the committee on appropriation, November 28, to enable it conclude the process and pass the appropriation bill immediately.

“The 2020 budget report will be laid in Senate on November 28. It is now beholves on the committee on appropriation to work very hard and ensure that the report is presented. This is to enable the Senate pass the budget as we earlier promised,” Lawan said.

President Muhammadu Buhari had presented N10.33 trillion 2020 budget before a joint session of the National Assembly.

Before the NASS succeeded in ensuring that ministries, Departmanets and agencies (MDAs) defended their budgets, it had forcefully adjourned for two consecutive times to pave the way.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan had explained that the adjournment was to hasten the passage of the 2020 budget and to revert to January-December budget cycle.

According to the timetable, Lawan announced that budget defense by MDAs which began on Wednesday, 16 October was to last till October 30.

Consequently, the Senate President insisted that any head of MDA that could not appear before the committees for the budget defence, on the assigned date, “should not come again and at such, consider its budget not defended.”