The Nigeria Employers' Consultative Association (NECA) has commended the Federal Government for the presentation of the 2020 Budget estimates to the National Assembly.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the Director General of NECA, Mr. Timothy Olawale stated that “The early presentation of the budget to the legislature is highly commendable even though there is room to improve further on the timeline. It is hoped that the Legislators will also do the needful by expediting action on treating the budget with the good of the citizenry as the sole driver. Our expectation is that the budget should be back to the President for assent or comments on aspects that require tinkering with by second week in December, so that by the first week of January 2020, it would be ready for implementation.
According to him NECA “beyond the presentation of the Budget, greater commitment is expected from the National Assembly so that the Budget will not suffer the usual padding controversy, leading to unnecessary bickering between the Presidency and the National Assembly”. He averred that “stated that no effort must be spared to return the nation to the January-December budgeting year to facilitate proper monitoring and disciplined implementation of projects as enshrined in the Budget for the good of the citizens”
In his Concluding remarks, Olawale stated that “If we truly want to get the country on the track of economic prosperity as soon as possible, we need to accord extreme importance to the early passage of the budget. There has to be a defined time frame which should be religiously followed as seen in other countries. As stated by the President, priority should be given to on-going projects before new ones are started and a sound monitoring and evaluation mechanism clearly defined for the successful implementation of the Budget when passed into Law”
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