President Muhammadu Buhari, who had a croaky voice while presenting the 2020 budget to the National Assembly during a joint session, said that his flu is an indication that he is working really hard for Nigeria.
Buhari explained jokingly that he had to work so hard towards meeting the deadline given by the National Assembly to present the 2020 budget.
He said;
“As you can hear, I have a cold as a result of working very hard to meet your deadline,” he said jokingly.
In his remarks, Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives, sympathised with the president over his cold.
Last week, the national assembly approved N10.73 trillion as the federal government’s total estimated expenditure for 2020.
The president had proposed a sum of just N10 trillion. The increase by the lawmakers amounts to N792 billion.”
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President Buhari had also stated that the budget which contained the 2020 appropriation bill of N10.33 trillion exempted Yam Fish and many other items from VAT.
The 2020 appropriation bill had been proposed in view of the turn over from the planned increase of the VAT rate from 5% to 7.5%.
According to him, other than the pharmaceuticals, basic commodities and educational items which have already been exempted from VAT, Buhari highlighted a number of items which shall also be exempted from VAT.
They include fruits, vegetables, roots (Yam, Potatoes e.t.c), milk, meat, water, bread, cereals, fish, flour and starch foods.
The president further stated that the 2020 budget will focus mainly on the completion of “as many ongoing projects as possible”, rather than commencing new ones.