Senate President Ahmad Lawan on Tuesday, September 14, 2021, said the National Assembly is ready to receive the 2022 Appropriation Bill from President Muhammadu Buhari.
Lawan made this assertion in his speech to welcome lawmakers from their two-month annual vacation at plenary.
He listed the setting up of a conference Commission on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, passage of 2021-2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP), and conclusion of legislative work on the review of the 1999 Constitution as some of the priority areas for the Ninth National Assembly.
He disclosed that the report of the Senate Ad hoc Committee on the review of the Constitution would soon be laid before the Chamber.
Lawan said: “The Senate Joint Committee on Finance, National Planning and Economic Matters, Petroleum Downstream, Petroleum Upstream and Committee on Banking, has been working hard on the 2022/2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).
“The report of the Committee will soon be presented to the Senate for consideration. This is preparatory to the presentation of the 2022 Appropriation Bill by Mr. President soon.
“Let me emphasize that the Senate, indeed the National Assembly is primed and ready to receive and start work on the Bill.
“The Standing Committees are ready to receive Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) for budget defence.
“As in the previous years, all MDAs are expected to defend their budget proposals within October 2021, as this is the only allotted window for the exercise.”
He added: “Before we embarked on our recess we had accomplished the targets that we set for ourselves. We passed the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), and also passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2010. These were landmark Legislations targeted at enhancing the Oil and Gas Sector in our Country and improving the Electoral system in our dear Nation.
“As we are all aware, Mr. President assented to the Petroleum Industry Bill on 16th August, 2021 making it an Act of parliament.
“Also, the President had set up an implementation Committee to start the execution of the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act.
“I want to take this opportunity to urge the implementation Committee to expedite action so that our country will start to reap the benefits of the law.”
Source: The Nation
