By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Six of the 11 economic growth and reform bills before the Senate would be given priority this week, the red chamber has disclosed.
The Senate, in a statement from its Media Office on Sunday, further revealed that public hearings on the economic recovery bills would commence from Tuesday, December 6 to Thursday, December 8, 2017.
Some of the bills to be considered this week are the National Road Fund Act, which is to fund the rehabilitation and maintenance of the national road system; the National Development Bank of Nigeria Bill intended to provide short, medium and long term financing to participating financial institutions for loans to small scale, medium and industrial enterprises in agro allied businesses, manufacturing, mining; and the Federal Roads Authority Act, which is to manage the federal roads network so that it is safe and efficient, with a view toward meeting the socio-economic demands of the country.
The others are the Customs and Excise Reform Act which seeks to reform the administration and management of the Customs Service for greater accountability and revenue generation; the Land and Marine Transport Committee on the National Transport Commission Act which seeks for establishment of a National Transport Commission as an effective, independent and impartial authority in the transport sector; and the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIB) tailored towards establishing a framework for the creation of commercially oriented and profit driven petroleum entities that ensures value addition and the internationalisation of the petroleum industry.
Adedapo Adesanya 
Dipo Olowookere