By Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu
The National Assembly yesterday raised the N895.842 billion supplementary budget proposal for the 2021 fiscal year submitted to its two chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives, by President Muhammadu Buhari by N87.9 billion and approved N982.729 billion.
The Senate also approved the federal government’s request for $6.183 billion (N2.343 trillion) as external borrowing in 2021 Appropriation Act.
Nonetheless, the federal government has intensified preparations for next year’s budget as it approved the 2022 – 2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF & FSP), authorising the funding of a N5.26 trillion budget deficit in 2022 through external borrowings.