There are strong indications that the National Assembly will pass the 2023 Appropriation Bill next week.

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, both indicated earlier this week that the Federal Government budget would be passed on Thursday, when lawmakers were scheduled to leave for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Several lawmakers blamed the delay on the recent transmission of the 2022 Finance Bill and Supplementary Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly for consideration and passage.

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd. ), only transmitted the Finance Bill on Wednesday, while the supplementary budget was received by the legislature on Thursday.

With the development, there is uncertainty about the continuation of the January-December budget cycle, which was restored three years ago by the current 9th National Assembly.

Following the National Assembly’s approval and transmission of the budget to the Executive, the relevant ministries, particularly the Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, usually scrutinize the content before the president signs it into law, a process that can take weeks.

Source: Punchng.com