The Senate Committee on Finance has expressed dissatisfaction over the perennial poor funding of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) during the Commission’s 2025 fiscal year budget defense.
The Chairman of the committee, Senator Shehu Musa, described the situation as regrettable, highlighting the irony of the underfunding of a Commission that is charged with ensuring and enforcing remittances of revenue into the Consolidated Revenue Fund ( CRF) even the government is in dire need to improve its independent revenue.
In his presentation, the Chairman of the FRC, Victor Muruako Esq., outlined the Commission’s proposed budget of ₦1.6 billion, which he deemed insufficient to fulfill its extensive mandate. He also raised concerns about the need to increase Staff wages, noting that many employees have left for other agencies with better pay structures. Additional requests included increased capital funding to improve revenue generation and a push for the amendment of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 which had already undergone a public hearing in the Ninth Legislative Assembly.
All the members of the Finance Committee supported the call for improved funding and enhanced salary packages for the FRC, emphasizing the importance of adequately equipping the Commission to perform its critical functions effectively.
The Committee also assured the Commission of the commitment of the National Assembly to ensure that the amendment of the Fiscal Responsibility Act ( FRA) was accomplished to strengthen compliance by Government Owned Enterprises ( GOEs) and improve transparency and accountability in public finance management.
Bede Ogueri Anyanwu,
Head, Strategic Communications Directorate,
Fiscal Responsibility Commission
Monday, 20th January, 2024