FG eyes October for 2024 budget submission

The Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning has said the 2024 budget would be submitted to the House of Assembly before the end of October.

The Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Ben Akabueze, said this in Lagos on Monday, during the training of ministries, departments, and agencies’ personnel, who would be involved in the 2024 budget preparation based on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System – Budget Preparation Sub-System.

Akabueze, who was represented by the Director of Revenue and fiscal Policy at the Budget Office of the Federation, Hapsatu Mormoni, disclosed that the budget office was working to ensure that the 2024 Budget was submitted to the National Assembly before the end of October.

In a chat with journalists during the training, the director-general said the training had been very effective, adding that the country had been able to return to the January –December budget cycle in the last five years.

He said, “We are working to make sure that the submission of the budget before the end of October happens even though it is a new administration. We are still hoping to make sure we meet up with that deadline so that the National Assembly can also do their own and ensure that the budget is passed within the year.”

The budget office DG said the training was aimed at enhancing budget personnel’s collective capacity to effectively use the Budget Preparation Sub-System of the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System.

According to him, the training session underscored the determination of the budget office to enhance fiscal discipline and accountability in the management of public funds.

He called on the MDAs’ budget personnel to recognise the significance of their roles and align their activities with the aspirations of Nigerians and the development agenda of the country’s current administration.

He said, “President Tinubu’s administration is firm in its commitment to fulfilling its promises to our citizens. Our focus, therefore, should remain steadfast on using the budget as a veritable tool for delivering the government’s commitment to all Nigerians.

“To achieve this, collaboration and synergy among the various MDAs is paramount. We must harmonise our sectoral policies and programmes with the overarching National Development Plan 2021- 2025 and the specific programmes of this administration. We must ensure that our efforts are synchronised, resources are optimally utilised, and the impact of our collective work resonates across the nation.

“Furthermore, it is essential to note that President Tinubu’s agenda sets the stage for a transformative era in our great nation. This agenda outlines the framework for sustainably achieving inclusive socio-economic growth, infrastructural development, and the overall well-being of our people. It is, therefore, incumbent upon us to integrate the tenets of this agenda into our respective roles and responsibilities.”

He, thereafter, urged the MDAs to study the Budget Call Circular in detail and avoid making mistakes that should ordinarily be avoided if they had complied with the relevant sections of the Call Circular.

He added, “Emphasis will be placed in one of the modules this year on key items and sections to note in the 2024 FGN Budget Call Circular.”