Members of the Senate and House of Representatives joint Committee on Finance are locked in a marathon meeting.
It is to meet the one-week deadline given to them to submit a report on the 2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) for consideration and passage by the National Assembly.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan had, last week, given the Senate Committee on Finance chaired by Senator Solomon Adeola till Wednesday to submit its report.
The House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila also referred the document to the James Faleke-led House Committee on Finance. He gave the panel a week to turn in its report for consideration and approval.
The rush to get the MTEF/FSP report back to plenary and its possible passage is to pave the way for the presentation of the 2020 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari in earnest.
Lawan had asked the Presidency to submit the 2020 Appropriation Bill by September ending, or the first week of October for its consideration and passage by the National Assembly before Christmas.
The Nation learnt yesterday that following the directive from both chambers, the committees on Finance have resolved to hold joint sittings to consider the document to save time and meet the deadline.
A source who spoke in confidence told our reporter that the committees have been meeting non-stop.
The source said: “The Senate Committees on Finance and its House of Representatives counterpart have decided to hold joint sittings to consider the MTEF/FSP instead of the Senate committee doing its own and the House Committee doing its own.
“They want to do a joint sitting so that they can meet that deadline of maybe Wednesday or Thursday.
“You know, the deadline the Senate President gave was Wednesday but they are working to meet the deadline or if they miss it, it would just be by a day or so.
“That is the much they can do because unfortunately or fortunately, Tuesday is a public holiday.
“So, that was why they decided to work through Saturday, even today (Sunday) they are still meeting over the same matter.
“It is like even today (Sunday), they are working on it. So, there is every possibility they will meet the deadline.
“You know they gave them Wednesday, but I don’t think they took cognizance of Tuesday – a public holiday – and the weekend. But members of the joint committee have been working round the round the clock.”
