 The Minister of Finance, Budget, National Plan and Zeynabar Med has said that the government may not be able to make provisions for Treasury-funded capital projects in the 2023 fiscal year. According to her, the budget deficit for the 2023 fiscal year may run between 11.30 trillion naira to 12.41 trillion naira, depending on the government's choice on the issue of subsidy payment on PMS. Our correspondent Emmanuel Hygiene filed in a report. The minister stated this while presenting the 2023-2025 medium-term expenditure framework and fiscal strategy paper before the House of Representatives Committee on Finance on the need to aggregate the expenditure of the government for 2023 at 19.76 trillion naira. The medium-term expenditure framework and fiscal strategy is a major feature on the annual budget presentation cycle. She used the opportunity to appraise President Mohammad Buwari's administration as well as its foresight in putting in place several social reforms aimed at putting food on the table of the ordinary Nigerian. We will need to all focus on improving tax administration and collection efficiency. Good all production challenges also need to be addressed as PMS subsidy that has been deducted by NNPC has actually constituted a significant threat to the achievement of our revenue growth targets in the oil and gas sector as seen in the performance of 2022 and even in the projections for 2023. In the collection from the value-added tax, the minister said that 298.83 billion naira and 102.97 billion naira, representing 99 percent and 98 percent of their respective targets, were received. She also disclosed that Nigeria spends over 8.7 billion naira on pipeline maintenance and oil theft from April till date. Despite higher oil prices, oil revenue has been underperforming due to the significant lower oil production shortfalls and the main reasons as I reported earlier on had to do with pipeline vandalization and theft and also which has resulted in oil production short ins by most of the major oil producing entities. There is also high petroleum subsidy cost which is due to the higher lending cost of imported refined petroleum products into the country. Other revenues according to the minister amounted to 664.64 billion naira of which independent revenue was placed at 394.09 billion naira within the period under review. Earlier before the arrival of the minister of finance, the committee had been drilling some agencies of government that were noted for flaunting government policies in terms of remittances. That's your section 22 says that the money, whatever money you realize from there used to pay salaries and whatever, but government has taken over the responsibility of paying salaries, they pay you overhead, they pay your capital and so it is expected that the revenue you generate is limited to 100%. You have a legal department there, you have. So what you have done is willful, you decided on your own to disobey the law. The aggregate expenditure for 2022 is estimated at 17.32 trillion naira with a pro rate spending target of 5.77 naira at the end of April, but the committee urged the minister to create economic opportunities in the country where ordinary persons on the street can have food on their table. The medium term expenditure framework and fiscal strategy paper meeting continues with other relevant ministries, departments and agencies expected to appear on Tuesday.