The Nigerian Senate has begun debate on the general principles of the 2017 Budget with senators focusing on ways that more revenue can be generated to fund the appropriation bill.
Senators also faulted some of the expenditure profiles set by the government. They promised to review the huge recurrent and overheads in the document at committee stage.
TVC News National Assembly Correspondent Sumner Sambo reports that Nigerian senators are upbeat that the 2017 budget is one aimed at improving infrastructure and boosting economic growth but they are quick to point out some lapses in fiscal policies and budgetary allocations.
The Senate says it is fine-tuning its committee structures in preparation for the speedy scrutiny of the budget at that level.
Both chambers of the National Assembly had last week passed the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) for 2017 to 2019 thereby paving way for the consideration of the 2017 appropriation
bill.
