The House of Representatives on Wednesday commenced consideration of a bill seeking to significantly expand the funding base of the South-South Development Commission with proposals to grant the intervention agency additional revenue from Value Added Tax, the Ecological Fund and statutory contributions from extractive and agricultural processing companies.
The proposal formed the focus of a public hearing organised by the House Committee on the South-South Development Commission on a bill to amend the South-South Development Commission (Establishment) Act, 2025.
Speaking at the hearing, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, said the proposed amendment is intended to place the SSDC on a funding footing comparable to other regional development commissions, enabling it to better address the developmental challenges confronting the South-South.
“The bill before us seeks to strengthen the financial framework of the South-South Development Commission by introducing additional statutory sources of funding to support the commission in the effective discharge of its mandate.
“The objective is to provide the commission with a funding structure comparable to those of other regional development commissions, thereby enhancing its capacity to address the developmental priorities of the South-South region.”
