Senate to receive harmonized 2021 budget December 3

The Senate Committee on Appropriation will lay a harmonized version of 2021 budget before the Senate at plenary on December 3, 2020.

The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Jubril Barau gave this indication in Abuja after some Chairmen of Senate Standing Committees submitted their reports to the Committee.

Barau said: “We have our timetable; we want to submit by 3rd of December, 2020. We are going to submit a harmonized version of the 2021 budget by the grace of God.

“We look towards submission of the budget on December 3.”

When asked how the Committee is going to address the issue of omission of some agencies in the budget, Barau said there is no cause for alarm on issues of omission in the budget.

He said that the Committee would address the issue.

“The budget proposal is a very wide process talking about estimates of expenditures that are going to be undertaken by the Federal Government.

“So, you have several expenditures and there is room for omission but that is why we are here.

“We told our own committees to go and scrutinize the budgets of Ministries and report back to us.

“Whatever you see in the budget, whether it is an omission, our work is to get the report and engage our own expert here.

“We have accountants, we have economists, they will be addressed if there is need for correction, if there is an omission, we will fill those gaps. So, there is no cause for alarm.”