Tax Reform Bills ‘ll not distract us from passing 2025 budget – NASS

…says January-December budget circle sacrosanct

By Haruna Salami

The National Assembly said not even the tax reform bill could distract the parliament from passing the 2025 budget of the federal government on January 31, 2025.

This Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senators Adeola Olamilekan who disclosed this on Monday at a crucial meeting with chairmen of all standing committees of the Senate said both chambers of the national Assembly have put machinery in motion towards a timely passage of the 2025 Appropriation Bill.

The Daily Times recalled that President Bola Tinubu laid before the National Assembly the 2025 Appropriation Bill on December 18, 2024 and the bill has since been debated in the second reading on the 19th December 2024 and equally been transmitted to the Committee on Appropriation for necessary action.

He assured that the working document, the timetable that will guide the process for the eventual passage of the 2025 Appropriation Bill have been released.

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The committee chairman said “the first thing we have succeeded in doing is to ensure that the hard copy of this document was given to all committee chairmen as their working document. This is to enable the committees to invite all the ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs) to the meeting.

“The second thing we have succeeded in doing is to ensure that the MDAs are given the right to defend whatever has been allocated to them in that document, starting with their personnel, overhead and the capital.

“After which, we are expecting the report back from the 15th of January to the 18th of January. And from there, collation and tidying up of the document will commence with the Committee.

“By 31st of January, it is expected that we should lay before the National Assembly the report of the Committee on Appropriations on the 2025 Appropriation Bill for its eventual passage by the National Assembly, that is both chambers of the Senate and the House of Reps.

“This morning we held a meeting with all members of the Committee on Appropriation. Now is the turn of the chairmen of the committees, who are subcommittees for the purpose of appropriation. And there is need for us to understand the direction in which we are going as far as 2025 Appropriation Bill is concerned.

“As you’re all aware, the timeframe is short, but we have no choice than to work hard. And that is why I must thank all my colleagues who have agreed with us to shelve their holidays so that we can commence work on this so-called all-important document. And we will do that with all vigour and ensure that all that needs to be done on this document must be done.

“The 31st of January is a tentative date to guide our workers. If there is need for us that the budget be extended we will do so”.

Adeola said upon resumption on the 14th of January, the Senate will give two weeks break to consult with the MDAs of the government for the next two weeks and then follow up with a report, which should be ready for eventual passage.

“I want to say this that we are open as a committee and we are ready to work together and ensure that whatever issues raised on the document we are available to listen and to do all that is necessary to have a document that works for all Nigerians. This time around we will not hesitate to do that.

“Also to bring to our notice the committee on Appropriations will be organizing a retreat which is Thursday of this week which we usually call the budget retreat so that all relevant stakeholders: civil society organizations and all relevant organizations should also have an insight into the real content of the document.

“The proposed estimate Or the details which was also laid nobody would say this and this, but by the time the process starts, I know for a known fact that you start seeing different narration out there.

“This has been done, but we want to have a synopsis of ideas of what is contained in that document for the benefit of Nigerians and that will be the main reason why we are here today so that we can have a discussion about this document.

“And that will be the end of the session come upon Thursday this week which we are working seriously to ensure that it’s a date and a very very wonderful day in that regard so once again I welcome our chairman of relevant committee of the Nigerian senate to this all-important meeting but before we go ahead we want to thank gentlemen of the press and other interested stakeholders who are here”, he said.

After a short closed door session of the committee Olamilekan said the meeting was held to discuss the modalities and the modus operandi of the work.

“On January 6th, work has begun in earnest, and we have started. My colleagues and I, we have agreed on the modus operandi and the workability for us to achieve the set target and goals as far as passing the budget into law by the end of January.

“Because of the short time, as proposed in the timetable, we recommended that there should be a joint sitting to assist us so that we can get the job done in a record time.

“So we are recommending a joint sitting of both Senate committee and the House as far as attending to the various ministries and departments of agencies of government are concerned,” he added.

Speaking on January to December budget cycle which the National Assembly has recorded as an achievement and now unfortunately lost it, Olamilekan said he don’t believe they have lost it, adding “as you’re all aware, there are a lot of things that is going on simultaneously.

“Don’t forget that along the line, there is this tax reform bill that came and which took a lot of distraction from the National Assembly and also from the executive in trying to see what can be done to ensure that that bill sails through.

“We are happy that in the Senate, that bill has scaled through the second reading, currently before the committee, for the committee work to be done before the eventual passage by the Nigerian Senate. I think that was what was responsible to that. And we are working around the clock to ensure that we don’t lose the January to December 31st budget cycle.

“That is why we hope that by the time the budget is eventually signed into law, we can still meet the set aims and objectives of the present administration in terms of policies and programs for the good people of Nigeria”.