The Senate has set aside its Standing Orders 2022 as amended to hold emergency plenary session to pass a bill to amend the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act to extend the implementation period for N819billion 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act from 30th June 2023 to December 31, 2023.
The bill is titled, " A Bill for an Act to Amend the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act and for other matters connected therewith, 2023 (SB. 1124)"
The President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan said that the expeditious consideration and passage given to the bill arose from the need by the Senate to be on the same page with the House of Representatives that had earlier done so on Wednesday this week.
Lawan specifically said that the N819billion 2022 supplementary budget approved for the executive by both chambers in December last year, has not been implemented due to lack of releases, adding, " the supplementary budget meant for fixing of critical infrastructure destroyed by flood across the country last year, has not been implemented due to non releases of appropriated funds.
"As explained and requested for, by the executive, the duration of implementation, will now be extended from June 30, 2023 earlier fixed, to December 31, 2023", he said .
In his presentation during the emergency plenary session, the Senate leader, Senator Ibrahim Gobir, APC, Sokoto East explained that significant amounts of funds remain with the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs and will require a further extension to be fully expended.
The Senate Leader in his lead debate explained that the bill which seeks to amend the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act would extend the implementation year from the 30th June
2023 to 31st December 2023.
According to him, considering the critical importance of some key projects nearing completion, requesting a further extension of the expiration clause in the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Bill is expedient to avoid compounding the problem of abandoned projects, as some of the projects were not provided for in the 2023 Budget.
Gobir who recalled that the National Assembly extended the implementation of the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act from 31st December 2022 to 31st March, 2023, said, " This was to allow full implementation of the budget, especially in light of the 2022 Supplementary budget approved in December 2022.
"The extension had allowed MDA’s to utilize a large proportion of funds released to them. However, significant amounts of funds remain with Ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs) and will require a further extension to be fully expended.
"Given the critical importance of some key projects nearing completion, requesting a further extension of the expiration clause in 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Bill and the Long Title and Explanatory Memorandum is expedient.
"This is to avoid compounding the problem of abandoned projects, given that some of the projects were not provided for in the 2023 Budget."
Gobir therefore urged his colleagues to give their full support to the 2022 Appropriation Bill to allow full utilization of the Capital releases in order to help reflate the economy.
The Senate passed the bill after the clause-by-clause consideration at the Committee on Supply.
Recall that the National Assembly extended the implementation of the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act from 31st December 2022 to 31st March, 2023. This was to allow full implementation of the budget, especially in light of the 2022 Supplementary budget approved in December 2022.
The extension had allowed MDA’s to utilize a large proportion of funds released to them.
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