2019 is fast folding up, yet to many the impact of 2019 budget has not been felt by many Nigerians, yet 2020 proposed budget is on its way to the upper chambers today. In the face of the current hardship in the country, expectations are high especially to the common Nigerians whose only interest is just to have good road, electricity, food and shelter.
But in fulfillment of the promise made by President Muhammadu Buhari and the senate president Ahmed Lawan to return the budget circle to December- January, the Presidency says President Muhammadu Buhari is now set to present the 2020 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly (NASS) today, Tuesday, October 8,2019.
Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, confirmed this development at the end of an extraordinary meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The meeting which considered the 2020 budget proposals before its presentation to the National Assembly on Tuesday by 1:30 p.m., was presided over by President Buhari at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday.
Adesina, who briefly spoke to State House correspondents, said: “No briefing, we only looked at what we will present at the National Assembly tomorrow”, referring to Tuesday’s presentation of the 2020 budget proposal to the NASS by President Buhari.
President Buhari is expected to lay the 2020 budget before a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives on Oct. 8 for approval, “as the country intends to revert to the January to December budget cycle.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the early presentation of the 2020 budget is meant to return the Federal Government budget cycle from May-June to January-December.
The Senate had on Thursday increased the proposed 2020 budget from N10.007 Trillion to N10.729trillion.
However, President Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly had on Sunday night (Oct. 6) met behind closed doors at the President’s official residence in Abuja in what appeared to be `2020 budget reconciliation meeting’. (NAN)
