{"id":7056,"date":"2013-07-25T04:26:41","date_gmt":"2013-07-25T04:26:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigerian-newspapers\/senate-may-pass-2013-amended-budget-today\/"},"modified":"2013-07-25T04:26:41","modified_gmt":"2013-07-25T04:26:41","slug":"senate-may-pass-2013-amended-budget-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/senate-may-pass-2013-amended-budget-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate may pass 2013 amended budget today"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Senate may pass the\u00a02013 amendment\u00a0budget today.<\/p>\n

The controversial budget scaled second reading in the Senate on Tuesday with Senate President, David Mark, directing the Appropriation Committee to work and return the budget for consideration within 24 hours.<\/p>\n

The bill seeks to authorise the issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation the sum of N4, 987, 220,425,601.<\/p>\n

In line with the directive, Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Ahmed Maccido (Sokoto North), presented the report of his Committee to the Senate in plenary yesterday.<\/p>\n

The upper chamber should have considered the report immediately after presentation, but Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, said that the lawmakers should be given some time to go through the work of the Appropriation Committee, arguing that it was necessary for Senators to acquaint themselves with report of the Appropriation Committee.<\/p>\n

A source told our correspondent that barring other considerations, the budget would be considered and passed today.<\/p>\n

He noted that it became necessary to expedite action on the budget because the Senate would be proceeding on its vacation.<\/p>\n

Mark urged his colleagues to take their oversight function more seriously to ensure faithful implementation of the budget.<\/p>\n

He explained that the National Assembly needed to pass the amendment bill to ensure that workers get their salaries as at when due.<\/p>\n

The Presidency categorised the amendment budget which cuts across the expenditure with some categories designated as critical and important.<\/p>\n

Specifically, the Presidency captured some capital projects the allocation of which were reduced in the previous amendment and restored in the current one to promote national development.<\/p>\n

The Presidency prayed the National Assembly to restore the reductions.<\/p>\n

The reductions made by the National Assembly included Abuja-Lokoja read, reduced by N4billion; Kano-Maiduguri road, reduced by N3.5billion; dualisation of Ibadan-Illorin section Two, reduced by N5.5billion; rehabilitation of Jebba Bridge, reduced by N1.25billion; rehabilitation of burnt Marine Bridge and Iddo Bridge, reduced by N1b and Special Intervention Fund for emergency roads and bridges across the country, reduced by N6.28billion.<\/p>\n

Ndoma-Egba also highlighted reductions made in health, power, education and transportation which President Goodluck Jonathan wanted restored.<\/p>\n

He argued that considering the fact that unemployment is one of the country\u2019s major concerns, there is need for budgetary allocation to the community service, women and youth empowerment programme under the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P.)<\/p>\n

He added that the proposal of N27 billion proposed in the 2013 Appropriation Bill as presented by President Jonathan should suffice against the N9 billion approved by the parliament.<\/p>\n

He noted that the cut would have the adverse effect of severely undermining the capacity of the country to create jobs needed for the teeming unemployed youths, women and physically challenged citizens.<\/p>\n

He craved the cooperation of his colleagues to restore the SURE-P budget.<\/p>\n

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Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was quoted earlier to have said that the Federal Government may find it difficult to pay salaries of civil servants if the National Assembly fail to pass the amendment budget.<\/p>\n

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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. <\/a>A DisNaija.Com<\/a> network.<\/p>\n

Source: The Nation Newspaper<\/p>\n

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