The Presidency insists that it is acting within the law in the yet-to-be submitted 2016 budget, despite the delay in its presentation to the National Assembly (NASS) in breach of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) stipulating that the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) must be submitted for NASS approval at the end of August 2015.
According to Section 11 of the FRA, the MTEF which is the precursor to the budget itself, as well as the Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) should be submitted four months to the end of the financial year on December 31.
“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,” the FRA 2007 dictates in its Part II, Section 11 (1b).
However, speaking to journalists on Friday, Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters (Senate) Ita Enang said the yet-to-be submitted 2016 budget is “within the constitutional period”.
He said the MTEF/FSP will be transmitted to the National Assembly in “the next few days”.
In Enang’s words: “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 in the course of it, Mr President will 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…. The letter will communicate the date. And it’s definite that it will be within the constitutional period.
On MTEF/FSP Enang said: “No violation at all. It’s within what is allowed by law. Read the Act again. It says ‘between’ ‘and’. So, read the Act again. We are not in violation at all.”
-Leadership
