2025 budget: Representatives insist on MTEF being submitted on time
In order to provide legislators enough time to work on the 2025 Appropriations Bill (when it is filed), the House of Representatives encouraged the Federal Government on Wednesday tosend the Medium Term Expenditure Framework to the National Assembly immediately. This is because parliamentarians of all party affiliations voiced their disapproval of the practice of presenting annual budget plans to the parliament later than expected, which leaves themwith little time to perform well. Following the acceptance of a motion of urgent public interest, which was introduced by Mr.Clement Jimbo, the member representing the Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency in Akwa Ibom State, the House passed its resolution. In order to garner support for the motion, Jimbo emphasised the necessity of pressing the executive branch to adhere to Section 11(I) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007. He said that the law guarantees the long-term macro-economic stability of the national economy and allows for the prudent management of the country's resources. "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). In particular, section 88(1) of FRA 2007 and Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, which state 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 administering laws enacted by the National Assembly and for disbursing or administering monies appropriated orto be appropriated by the National Assembly." He expressed concern about this.He claims that the executive's non-compliance with section 11(1)(b) of the FRA 2007 "technically takes away" the time the National Assembly needs to carry out its duties as outlined in section 88(2)(b). Billy Osawaru (APC, Edo State) stated in his presentation that "One of the ways Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of Government shortchange Nigerians"is the timely late submission of annual budget proposals."If it takes four months to go through budget estimates, it...
