By Kunle SHONUGA
A lecturer with the University of Abuja, Prof. Park Idisi, on Wednesday said the Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) contributed to the late passage of the 2018 budget.
Idisi made this known in Thursday in Abuja said most of the MDAs and their ministers did not respond on time to defend their budgets, while some supplied information needed by the National Assembly very late.
“Most times, the MDAs were the reasons for budget delay; the executive is not helping matters by not punishing the ministers and heads of MDAs that refused to appear or delayed in coming for budget defend.
“If the MDAs and their ministers respond as expected by the National Assembly, the country might back to January to December fiscal budget year again,” he said.
TBI Africa reports that the Senate had attributed the delay of the 2018 budget to MDAs frustrating the efforts to pass it.
Senate Appropriation Committee had said the committee was having difficulty in harmonising the reports on the 2018 budget because most of the sub-committees on the budget had huge challenges with the MDAs.
According to Idisi, the implementation of the 2018 budget will be realistic due to benchmark on crude oil.
He suggested that the 2019 budget should be submitted by the executive latest August to avoid unnecessary delay.
“The executive must work in tandem with the National Assembly to ensure quick passage of 2019 budget. The great danger on 2018 budget is because it is close to the election year; the effect or impact of the budget to our economy will be low compared to previous years.”
He said there were indications that the 2017 budget had not made much needed impacts in the economy due to ongoing underground political campaigns.
TBI Africa reports that President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday signed into law the 2018 budget of N9.12 trillion based on crude oil benchmark of 51 dollars per barrel.
