The Federal Government has revealed that it would revert to January to December budget cycle, beginning with the 2020 national budget.
To this end, the government has indicated its readiness to comply with the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 by submitting the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) to the National Assembly on time.
Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, stated this in Abuja at an event organised by the National Assembly.
According to him, this would be achieved by collaborating with the Legislature.
Udoma pointed out that this would not only make planning easier for both the public and private sectors but would also ensure proper oversight by relevant committees of the National Assembly.
He attributed delay in submitting and passing the 2019 budget to the fact the both the Executive and Legislative arms of government relegated governance to the back seat, as politics occupied centre stage during the 2019 elections.
“But I believe that going into 2020, this is a year that we should be able to achieve it. This is year that we should be able to sit down with the National Assembly and achieve it. The President is determined to achieve it.
“We will be sitting down with the National Assembly so that we can achieve. And we don’t need to do it be legislation. I think it is better to do it by cooperation, working together,” the Minister said.
The MTEF/FSP, an annual, rolling three year-expenditure planning, sets out the medium-term expenditure priorities and provides the basis for the preparation of the annual national budget.
Specifically, Section 11 (b) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act stipulates that the MTEF/FSP be submitted to the National Assembly ‘not later than four months before commencement of the next financial year’.
But findings by BusinessDay showed that since assumption of office in May 2015, President Buhari has not adhered to the law.
For instance, in 2015 and 2016, rather than submit the MTEF/FSP by September as provided in the FRA, President Buhari submitted the 2016-2018 and the 2017-2019 MTEF/FSP to the National Assembly on December 8, 2015, and October 4, 2016 respectively.
Also, the President submitted the 2018-2020 MTEF/FSP on October 17, 2017, while the 2019-2021 MFEF/FSP which is currently being considered at the NASS was received by both legislative chambers on November 6, 2018.
Earlier, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, blamed the delay in passing the budget by the National Assembly to late submission of the money bill by the Executive arm of government.
He lamented that previous budgets have not scored up to 45 percent performance.
The lawmaker expressed regret that President Muhammadu Buhari withheld his assent to the National Assembly Budget and Research Office (Establishment) Bill into law as well as the constitution amendment bill which seeks to compel the Executive to submit the budget proposal to the National Assembly not later than 90 days to the end of the fiscal year and also to limit the expenditure that can be incurred in the absence of the appropriation act from six to three months.
This, he explained, has stalled the Budget Process Bill in the House of Representatives, which spells out the timeline for every budget activity.
According to him, rather than meet national values and priorities, the budget only ‘reflects the values and priorities of those who help in crafting it’.
“Let me also add that it is very unfair for the Executive to consistently blame the National Assembly for delaying passage of the budget while failing to address the issues of late budget submission on its part. The Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 provides that the appropriation bill be submitted not later than September of the preceding year which will give the Legislature ample time to process the document abd pass it in good time. Unfortunately, as we all know, the 2019 appropriation bill was submitted in December 19, 2018, just 12 days to the end of the year,” he said.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
