|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Two weeks into the fourth month in the year, there are indications that the much awaited 2018 budget will face further delays.
BusinessDay learnt on Monday night that the deadline issued by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara for the laying of the 2018 budget report is no longer realistic.
Dogara had announced last week that the 2018 budget will be laid on Tuesday, 17th April, 2018 while Tuesday, 24th April, 2018 was proposed for final passage of the budget.
A copy Order Paper seen by our Correspondent as at Monday evening which will guide Tuesday’s plenary session of the House of Reps shows that the 2018 budget is not listed, an indication that it will not be presented for discussions.
Efforts by BusinessDay to reach the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Mustapha Dawaki (APC-Kano) on the status of the 2018 budget proved failed as he did not pick calls nor respond to text messages sent to him.
However, a staff working with the Committee on Appropriation confirmed that most of the 98 Standing Committees have not submitted their budget to the House Committee on Appropriations as directed by the Speaker.
“You cannot blame us for the delay because whatever will be collated is dependent on the standing Committees” he said.
“As we speak, not all of the have complied with the (speakers) directive,” he noted.
He also told BusinessDay that consultation is ongoing with the Executive on certain issues including the oil benchmark, and other vital matters. The 2018 budget was initially based on a budget benchmark of US$44.5 per barrel but oil prices have remained in the high US$60 since the beginning of 2018. Sources tell BuisnessDay that there are discussions about raising the benchmark to boost the government’s revenue project and cut planned deficit.
But at the Senate, a source told BusinessDay that all the Clerks of the affected Committees have been mandated to adhere to the 2018 budget timeline, adding that the Appropriation Committee is up to date on the budget so far.
According to him, the leadership of the Senate and House has not shifted to goal post on the passage of the 2018 budget on the 24th April as announced penultimate week.
But the source also disclosed that some of the Committees named by the Senate President last Thursday are yet to submit their report also.
BusinessDay further gathered from one of the Clerks of the Standing Committees that Monday, 16th April 2018 deadline was given to all the Standing Committees to submit their budget reports.
It was however gathered that the Standing Committees of both Senate and House of Representatives are already harmonising their reports in order to ensure ease in the computation of the MDAs’ budgets.
But Abdulrasak Namdas, chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs expressed optimism that the 2018 budget will be passed before the end of April 2018.
Even if the National Assembly is able to pass the budget this month, analysts believe the executive arm will struggle to fully implement the budget passed due to time constraint. The time it takes to work through procurement procedures means that it will take a minimum of the three months for any capital expenditure to be released and that will by closer to the 2019 elections.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
