The Senate Committee on Finance yesterday kicked against the appropriation of the sum of N1.6 billion by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as welfare package for its intending retirees in 2016. The amount, according to FIRS, is meant for its annual event of recognising its retired staff, explaining that the event could not be held for two years due to lack of funds.

The committee also frowned at the N700 million budget for medical bills of staff, as well as appropriation of over N16 billion earmarked as salaries of staff yet to be recruited.

Speaking during a budget defence session with the FIRS, Chairman of the Committee, John Enoh, said the welfare package was quite outrageous as the agency had never spent such an amount before. To this end, he asked the FIRS to present the total breakdown of the proposed expenditure as well submit details of what it spent last on its retired staff. “We will need a presentation that explains some particular cases of variation,” he said.

His action followed observation by members of the committee that the budget for the retired staff welfare was unreasonable since the agency never spent such huge amount for that purpose. The committee also observed that the FIRS proposed the sum of N350 million in the 2015 budget and received approval of N148 million but only spent N116 million out of the amount. The committee then wondered why it budgeted N700 million in the 2016 budget.

The committee chairman added that since FIRS claimed that it had not held the event for two years, it should provide the details of its last expenditure. The committee also kicked against appropriation of over N16 billion for salaries of 1,250 staff yet to be recruited in 2016 by the FIRS. (Vanguard)

•Photo showsSenate Finance Committee Chairman, Senator John Enoh.