Senate to Focus on 2017 Budget This Week

•  Customs and excise report to be laid

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

All things being equal, the Senate will this week begin debate on 2017 Appropriation Bill submitted to it on December 14, 2016 by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Both chambers of the National Assembly had last week passed the 2017 – 2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), thus clearing the coast for the consideration of the 2017 budget.

According to Senate’s Notice Paper for the week produced by the Committee on Rules and Business, the entire three days of plenary will be dedicated to debate on the 2017 budget.

Other events for consideration today before the commencement of the budget debate is submission of report of the Committee on Customs and Excise, Chaired by its Chairman, Senator Hope Uzodimma on the Bill to Repeal and Re-Enact the Nigerian Customs Service Management Act (2017).

Also scheduled for consideration today is a motion by the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, on the re-appointment of President Buhari’s nominee, Mr. Aghatise Erediauwa, as the Executive Director of the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) in accordance with Section 5(4) and 8(3) of the NDIC Act of 2004.