The 2024 appropriation bill has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives after two days deliberation on the bill by lawmakers.
Some lawmakers were concerned about the plan of the government to generate revenue from heavy tax, fearing that it would greatly affect importers.
Others say the proposed 1.7 million barrels per day of crude production is unrealistic. The committees will now have two weeks to conclude the budget defence process.
The Herald recall that President Bola Tinubu presented the 2024 budget proposal before the lawmakers on Wednesday.
The President, who addressed a joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja, charged both chambers to work assiduously and “conclude with reasonable dispatch”, their deliberations on the 2024 budget estimates of N27.5trn.
Speaking on the budget which was titled ‘Budget of Renewed Hope’, Tinubu said, “I am confident that the National Assembly will continue to work closely with us to ensure that deliberations on the 2024 Budget are thorough but also concluded with reasonable dispatch. Our goal is for the Appropriation Act to come into effect on the 1st of January 2024.”
The President said the ‘Budget Of Renewed Hope’ will ensure macroeconomic stability, poverty reduction, and greater access to social security, amongst others.