Abuja, Sept.5, 2023 – The 2024 federal government budget will be ready for presentation to the National Assembly in October.
Ben Akabueze, the Director-General of the Budget Office, said this on Monday during a training of ministries, departments and agencies on the 2024 budget preparation using the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System Budget Preparation Sub-System (GIFMIS/BPS).
Akabueze was represented by the Director of Revenue and Fiscal Policy, Hapsatu Mormoni.
He said the GIFMIS budget preparation subsystem would facilitate the budgetary processes in MDAs.
The director-general said it would also minimise the bottlenecks as well as enhance efficiency, transparency and accountability.
“We hope to submit the 2024 budget before the end of October 2023, and we are working to make sure it happens, even though it is a new administration.
“We are working to meet the deadline for the budget submission so that the National Assembly can do their own and the budget is passed within the year for the implementation to start by January 2024,” he stated.
Akabueze said the collaboration between the various MDAs was paramount, adding that the budget office was making efforts to harmonise the sectoral policies with the overarching National Development Plan 2021- 2025 and the specific programmes of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
He said the training is aimed at enhancing MDAs’ collective capacity to effectively use the budget preparation sub-system of the GIFMIS in the budget preparation process.
He said the President’s agenda outlined the framework for sustainably achieving inclusive socio-economic growth, infrastructural development and the overall well-being of the people.
Akabueze advised 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 circular.
He said to this end, emphasis would be made in one of the modules this year on key items and sections to note in the 2024 Federal Government Budget Call Circular.
“Let us harness the power of information technology to build a more transparent, accountable, and effective government machinery,” he advised. (GBN)
