We submitted 2018 budget with details of MDAs to NASS – Akabueze

The Budget Office of the Federation has refuted news making the rounds in the media that the 2018 Budget of the Federal Government was submitted to the National Assembly without details for some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The Budget Office said it has also received enquiries along same lines from concerned members of the public and had become necessary to clarify the facts regarding this matter.

Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Dr. Ben Akabueze on Sunday said as constitutionally stipulated, President Muhammadu Buhari laid before the National Assembly (NASS) the Executive budget proposals for 2018 on 7th November, 2017 with all the usual details required by the National Assembly to process the budget.

This, he said, included the details of the budgets of all federal MDAs based on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) budget templates.

According to him, Ministers and Heads of Agencies have made themselves available to explain and defend the Budget.

He noted that in the course of its review of the budget proposals, the NASS normally invites the MDAs to appear before them to defend the President’s budget submissions.

Akabueze emphasized, “Given the seriousness the Presidency attaches to getting the 2018 budget passed so it could earnestly focus on achieving the goals set out in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan 2017-20 (ERGP), which formed the basis of the budget, it had directed heads of Ministries and extra-Ministerial agencies to attend to any requests for meetings/information by the National Assembly (NASS) with despatch.

To the best of our knowledge, this directive has been complied with. Should any committees of NASS still experience any issues with attendance of any MDA, the Minister of Budget & National Planning has indicated that he is available to liaise with the particular MDA to ensure full cooperation with NASS by the relevant MDA,” he added.

The DG said that complaints about additional information with respect to the budgets of Government Owned Agencies (GOEs) are being addressed.

Akabueze, in response to the concerns raised by the public, pointed out that the FGN Budget is distinct from the budget of Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs) and as such any delay in the GOEs providing additional details on their budgets should not affect the early passage of the FGN Main Budget.

The Daily Times recalls that the Senate at its February 14, 2018 sitting, had complained that some GOEs had not submitted the details of their 2018 budget in a format acceptable to the Senate.