23rd March, 2016
The Presidency on Wednesday commended the National Assembly for passing the 2016 Appropriation Bill.
The Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, told newsmen at a press briefing in Abuja that the expeditious consideration and passage of the bill was laudable.
He further commended the Senate and House committees on appropriation as well as the sub-committees for working hard in ensuring that the budget was passed.
“I followed the entire process and I have seen the industry that has been exhibited by the senators.
“I want to say that we appreciate particularly the fact that in the course of consideration, the committee chairmen, the committee members and the chairmen of appropriation committees were in constant touch,” he said.
The special adviser further commended the legislature for approving the harmonised version of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), adding that they were the parameter for passing the budget.
Enang also extolled the media for extensive coverage of the process leading to the passage of the budget.
President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2016 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly on 22 December 2015.
The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udoma Udo-Udoma also praised the National Assembly over the budget passage.
The minister was particularly pleased that the legislature kept the budget within the amount proposed by the Executive, especially as the fiscal deficit was not increased.
“I wish to commend the National Assembly for passing the 2016 budget today.
“I am particularly pleased that they have kept the budget within the amount the executive proposed and the fiscal deficit has not been increased,” the minister said.
The Appropriation Bill was eventually passed into law by the Senate on Wednesday March 23.