In a press briefing in Abuja by Ita Enang, the senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters, he said that the date of which the budget will be laid will be communicated in a few days.
The MTEF document according to law was supposed to have been submitted for approval by August 2015 in line with the four months to the end of the financial year requirement stipulated in the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
The Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 dictates in its Part II, Section (11)(1b): “The Federal Government shall, not later than four months before the commencement of the next financial year, cause to be prepared a Medium-Term Expenditure Framework for the next three financial years.”
Enang said: “I want to assure you that in the next few days, Mr President will forward the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the Fiscal Strategy Paper to the National Assembly.
“The National Assembly will consider it and communicate to the National Assembly the date on which the 2016 budget will be laid.
“You know that is normally preceded by a letter from the President requesting the date and the letter will soon be issued and the letter will communicate the date. And it’s definite that it will be within the constitutional period.”
However, Enang applauded the National Assembly for the speedy passage of the 2015 supplementary budget adding that the speedy passage of supplementary budget is an indication of harmonious relationship between National Assembly and Executive.
He also stressed that the executive and legislature are presently having a perfect relationship. Balooggsblog.com recalls that the senate approved the harmonised version of the 2015 – 2017 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) on Thursday Mar 12, 2015.
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