Abuja, March 29, 2023 -The Senate on Tuesday further extended the implementation of capital projects in the 2022 budget from March 31 to June 30, 2023.
This followed a request by President Muhammadu Buhari to the Senate to amend the timeframe for implementation of the capital projects in the 2022 Appropriation Act.
The Senate Leader, Senator Ibrahim Gobir, moved the motion at the Senate which suspended relevant standing rules to enable it to read the Bill for the first, second and third time.
Gobir said that the extension would enable the government to implement key projects in the 2022 budget and allow for the completion of ongoing projects critical to the current administration.
“You will recall that the National Assembly extended the implementation of the 2022 Appropriation Act from December 31, 2022 to March 31, 2023.
“This was to allow full implementation of the budget, especially in the light of the 2022 Supplementary Budget approved in December 2022.
“The extension had allowed MDAs (ministries, departments and agencies) to utilise a large proportion of funds released to them.
“However, significant amounts of funds remain with 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 the Appropriation (Amendment) Act, 2022 and the Long Title and Explanatory Memorandum of the Supplementary Appropriation Act is expedient to avoid compounding the problem of abandoned projects, given that some of the projects were not provided for in the 2023 Budget,” he said. (GBN)
