By Abba -Eku Onyekachi
The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, has explained how collaboration between the legislature and the executive assisted in raising the country’s revenue projection this year.
Speaking during the stakeholders retreat on the 2024 Appropriation Bill organized by the Senate Committee on Appropriation at the National Assembly, Abuja, he said the country’s revenue projection was increased following the collaboration between the legislature and the executive.
“I am very happy and everyone here should be happy in terms of our performance in the revenue target for 2023. I want to say here that I am the happiest. I say so because what we have as our revenue target for 2023 was a product of collaboration between the executive and legislature.
“When the executive in 2022 brought forward its proposal in terms of revenue projection for 2023, the figure was less than what we have as a target. But our finance committee did a very good job. I was able to move several revenue items forward.
“And there was an argument that came forward with the ministry of finance that they could not actualize. But later we agreed to increase the revenues substantially, both oil and non-oil revenues and now we are able to realize that.
“So I am very happy because then there was doubt as to how we could realize the target. So, we said over time that the budget process is collaborative. A process that is built on dialogue and understanding or negotiation.
“Now, if we had not given the room for negotiation in terms of our revenue projection at that time, the nation would have suffered. Because this revenue is what we have gotten, we are very lucky to harvest that revenue.
“I am very happy because I was in front of that argument, and I was supported by the chairman committee of finance then, while I was chairing the committee on appropriation.
“So over to you Chairman Committee of Finance. You need to do more work to look at loopholes, and leakages that are there. It is left for you to go round and check.
“Use your capability to make sure the revenues that executives are not able to see, you should be able to see them so that you can harvest them and we will be able to utilize them for the development of our country,” he said.
