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The dust raised by the N143 Billion Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) budget for 2017 continued unabated yesterday in the Senate.
At the end of yesterday’s session, the Senate rejected the budget and the report of its Finance Committee, citing allegd duplications among others.
For example, the Senators frowned at the N2.5Billion for audit investigations, N586 million budgeted for refreshment and meals; N350million for “hire of hall, accommodation and events;” N681million for welfare packages; N200million for sporting activities; and N150million for honorarium.
Also, the sum of N683million was budgeted for security services; N250million for security vote; N90million for office furniture and equipment while another N300milion was budgeted for maintenance of office building; N266million for maintenance of office equipment; and N120million for maintenance of computers and IT equipment.
About N170million was budgeted for maintenance of plants and generators; N120million was set aside for “other maintenance services;” N440million was budgeted for office materials and supplies; N68million for library books and periodicals; N530million for computer materials and supplies; N1.9billion for printing of non-security documents, among others.
The Session presided over by the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki directed the Finance Committee under the leadership of John Enoh to go and do a better job.
Part of the committee report read: “On the FIRS proposed budget, the report presented by the committee read in part, “The Federal Inland Revenue Service projected to collect tax revenues to the tune of N4.082tn in 2016. This comprises N484bn oil and N3.597tn non-oil revenues.
“The projected four per cent cost of collection on non-oil revenue is N143,904,640,000. The total projected available fund for the 2016 budget is N146,165,108,293, comprising four per cent cost of collection and N2,260,468,293 or 20 per cent of the 2015 operating surplus.”
–Additional Reports Courtesy Punch
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