The public outcry over high recurrent expenditure, the senate yesterday moved to scrap the National Economic Intelligence Committee (NEIC), as it passed for second reading an executive Bill which seeks to repeal the law establishing the committee.
Senate President David Mark, who pointed out that the Committee was relevant at the time it was set up, however argued that the dynamics of the current economic reality has made the committee redundant.
He said their duties have also been absorbed into other existing acts, adding that efforts is also being made to downsize government structures.
He said since their duties are already taken by existing acts and agencies, there was no need to continue maintaining the committee.
Earlier in his lead debate, Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma Egba, said the Bill merely seeks to remove the Act establishing the NEIC from the statute book since it has outlived its usefulness.
He recalled that the Decree was enacted during the General Sani Abacha regime, pointing out the purposes it was meant to serve as including recommending increase or decrease in price for manufactured goods.
He added that other responsibilities which the committee performed were enforcement of the implementation of existing tax legislations, working out details on the method of enforcing implementation of the annual budget, among others.
Senator Adeyeye Olusola, ACN Osun state, who supported the motion, said to run the government well, the size of government must be reduced, adding that agencies should not be allowed to proliferate due to ineffectiveness of government.
Meanwhile, the Bill was sent to the Senate committee on finance for further works, and would be brought back in two weeks time.
0 comments:
Post a Comment