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2025 budget: Reps urge FG on timely submission of MTEF
The House of Representatives has encouraged the Federal Government to timely send the Medium Term Expenditure Framework to the National Assembly, in order to provide the parliamentarians enough time to work on the 2025 Appropriation Bill.
As reported by Punch on October 16, 2024, this came as legislators from all parties voiced their disapproval of the custom of presenting annual budget recommendations to the parliament later than expected.
The lawmakers claim it leaves them with little time to perform well.
The House passed a resolution after a motion of urgent public interest was adopted.
This motion was moved by Mr. Clement Jimbo, the representative for the Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency in Akwa Ibom State.
According to Mr. Jimbo, the law “ensures long term macro-economic stability of the national economy”.
He called for the judicious management of the country’s resources.
He disclosed this while rallying support for the motion on the “need to urge the executive to comply with Section 11 (I) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007”.
“The Federal Government must, not later than four months before the commencement of the next financial year, cause to be prepared and laid before the National Assembly an MTEF for the next three financial years”, the legislator said, citing Section 11(1)(b).
He expressed concern that Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, as well as section 30(1) of FRA 2007, particularly, section 88(1), states that subject to other provisions of the 1999 Constitution, “Each House of the National Assembly shall have the power, by passing resolutions, to direct, or cause to be directed, an investigation into any matter or thing to which it has power to make laws, and into the conduct of affairs of any person, authority, ministry of government department charged or intended to be charged with the duty of or responsibility for executing of administrating laws enacted by the National Assembly and for disbursing or administrating monies appropriated or to be appropriated by the National Assembly”.
According to him, the time the National Assembly needs to carry out its duties as outlined in section 88(2)(b) “Is technically being taken away by the executive’s non-compliance of section 11(1)(b) of FRA 2007”.
Mr. Billy Osawaru (of All Progressive Congress, Edo State), in his contribution, stated that the timely late arrival of annual budget proposals “Is one of the ways Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government shortchange Nigerians”.
“If it takes four months to go through budget estimates, it should be four months”, he added.
Mr. Kingsley Chinda, the minority leader, also contributed and endorsed the proposal concerning the 2025 Appropriation Bill.
He pointed out that lawmakers would find it challenging to examine the budget estimates in the best interests of Nigerians if it did not reach the house on time.
He said, “This government prides itself on the adherence to the January – December budget cycle.
“It is a good development.
“In the 2023 budget, we were practically rushed into completing work on the estimates just to meet up with the January – December cycle.
“This must not happen again.
“By now, the MTEF should have been with us”, he concluded.
Mr. Bob Solomon, the representative for Rivers State’s Abua/Ahoada East Federal Constituency, praised the motion’s maker.
He asked his coworkers to back it.
“We must have the time to support the 2025 budget in detail.
“The Appropriation Bill is the most important.
“Henceforth, if they send to us the Appropriation Bill without adequate time, let us not consider it”, he said.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, who presided the plenary session after the resolution was adopted, encouraged the Federal Government to immediately submit the 2025 Budget plan to the National Assembly in accordance with section 11(1)(b).
It also required the Committees on National Planning and Economic Development, Appropriation, and Finance to guarantee compliance in two weeks.
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