Passes National Roads Fund Bill
By Christiana Ekpa
Senate yesterday passed the National Roads Fund Bill 2016, which seeks additional sources for financing, rehabilitation, maintenance and other related activities of the Nigeria roads.
The legislation equally provide for a Roads Fund as a repository for revenues accruing from road user related charges.
The Senate read the bill for the third time and passed it after clause by clause consideration in the committee of the whole.
The bill which was sponsored by Senator Kabiru Gaya (Kano South) would ensure better values for money.
The Deputy President of the Senate Ike Ekwerenmadu who presided over the session said it is very important to find an alternative means of funding roads in the country
Ekweremadu stressed that, if Nigeria continues to depend on usual appropriation, it would amount to deficite.
According to provisions of the Bill, the Road Fund would be generated primarily from the percentage charge from fuel pump price, access fees for vehicles plying roads, supplementary heavy vehicle fee and fines for overloading.
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