FG is advised to begin 2018 budget process early

Lead Partner, BudgIT, Mr. Oluseun Onigbinde, has called on the Federal Government to begin early the process of the 2018 budget, to avoid delay in its implementation.

Onigbinde gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Thursday.

BudgIT is a civil society organisation that advocates open data, accountability and transparency in governance.

Onigbinde said that allowing the implementation of the budget to run into another calendar year gives room for lapses and opportunity for inefficiencies.

“We should finish the implementation of the 2017 budget by December and then start the 2018 budget.

“Let us go back to the calendar cycle, start the Medium Term Expenditure Framework conversation now, so that by October, the President presents the budget and it is passed by December.”

He attributed the challenges in budget implementation in the current administration to the delay in the appointment of ministers by President Muhammadu Buhari upon assumption of office.

According to him, if the ministers were appointed earlier, the 2016 budget would have been released much earlier.

Onigbinde said the National Assembly, while passing the 2016 Appropriation Bill, added a clause that it would run for one year from the point where it was signed to enable it enjoy a full year cycle.

He, however, said that this was not helpful, because the nation’s revenue target was planned on a calendar year basis, therefore, planning expenditure on a financial year basis made it lopsided.

“We need a legislation to set a specific date to present the budget to the national assembly and until we are able to get that done, development can be challenging,” Onigbinde said.

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