TheCable

The senate has postponed the passage of the 2020 budget by a week.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan announced at Tuesday’s plenary session that the budget will now be passed in the first week of December.

The senate earlier said the appropriation bill will be passed on Thursday, November 28.

But at the plenary session, Jibrin Barau, chairman of the senate committee on appropriations, said the committee is not ready to submit the treated budget proposal for consideration, and pleaded that they be given more time.

Responding, Lawan said the committee will be given another week to work on the bill.

He said the committee now has until next Tuesday to present the budget after which the process for its passage will commence.

On October 8, President Muhammadu Buhari presented a budget proposal of N10.33 trillion to a joint session of the national assembly.

The lawmakers commenced work on the proposal immediately, and on October 15, it passed second reading in the upper legislative chamber.

The budget defence exercise by various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) before the lawmakers was concluded on November 5.