The expectation that the 2020 budget will be passed this week won’t happen again.
This is because the senate has postponed its passage by one week.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan who disclosed this at Tuesday’s plenary session said 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 was not ready to submit the treated budget proposal for consideration, and pleaded that they should 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.
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.
