Gbenro Adesina
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday December 31, 2020, issued a stern warning to revenue generating agencies of government to work harder to meet their targets in 2021.
Buhari stated this after signing the N13.5trn 2021 Appropriation Bill into law reiterating, “Heads of defaulting Agencies are hereby warned that they will be severely sanctioned. I also appeal to our fellow citizens and the business community, at large, to fulfil their tax obligations promptly”.
Buhari expressed his delight that despite disruptions occasioned by the Coronavirus pandemic, 2020 Budget implementation passed previous thresholds.
However, the President commended the National Assembly for completing the important appropriation process in good time, adding that “the passage of the 2021 Federal Budget before the commencement of the 2021 fiscal year is in confirmation of our resolve to maintain a predictable January-December fiscal year, as provided for in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
He said that the “commendable outcome underscores the importance of our efforts, together with the Legislature, to return to the discipline of a January-to-December fiscal year adding, “The overall performance of the 2020 Budget currently stands at an impressive rate of N97.7 per cent representing a performance of about 89.1 per cent”.
He assured that the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning would provide further details on the 2020 Budget’s performance, in due course.
