24th April, 2015
Contrary to the speculation that fuel subsidy has been removed from the 2015 Appropriation Bill, the House of Representatives has clarified that, indeed, it made provision for the subsidy welfare scheme .
In a statement issued yesterday by Hon. Afam Ogene (APC, Anambra), deputy chairman, Media &Public Affairs Committee, the House noted that a total of N145 billion subsidy component were embedded in the 2015 Budget which it passed on Thursday, April 23, 2015. These, he said, were made up of N100 billion for subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit ( PMS), and N45billion for kerosene .
According to Hon. Ogene, the seeming confusion arose out of the fact that both components are contained in the revenue framework upon which the 2015 budget proposals were built.
Hon. Ogene: “When the Executive presented the 2015 budget proposals, it made provisions for N100 billion for petrol , and another N45 billion subsidy on kerosene . Both items, alongside some others, are contained in the revenue framework upon which the 2015 Appropriation Bill was predicated.”
Having now passed the 2015 budget proposals, the Deputy House Spokesman said, ” the revenue framework wherein the subsidy quotient is located, would now be sent alongside , as part of the attachments accompanying the passed Appropriation Bill, to the Executive, for presidential assent.”
It needs restating, Hon. Ogene said, “that though the subsidy components were not included in the consideration of the budget proposals for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), which the House dealt with last Thursday, the revenue framework upon which the entire budget proposals were predicated upon was jointly worked upon by officials of the Executive branch of the government and the House Committee on Finance – and provisions outlined for fuel subsidy as earlier pointed out.”