October 5, (THEWILL) – The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has endorsed the 2023 budget proposal for onward presentation to the National Assembly.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, confirmed this when he addressed State House Correspondents after the Council meeting on Wednesday.
The meeting was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to the presidential aide, the president will lay the budget proposal before a joint sitting of the National Assembly on Friday, adding that the proposal was the only item for consideration of the council to enable members to make input.
He said the proposals were discussed at length, but was, however, reluctant to give details.
“It was virtually one item for the Executive Council meeting in which the budget proposals for 2023 was presented and discussed at length.
“That budget proposal will be taken to the National Assembly on Friday morning, by Mr President. So, it will not the proper to begin to discuss the contents of what will be officially presented on Friday.
“So, that is the information I have for us, that we won’t have the traditional briefing of what happened at the Council, because it’s about a budget that will be presented on Friday morning. We’ll want to give the National Assembly that honour of receiving it first. Thank you”, he said.
When pressed to give details, he argued: “When will it be appropriate to speak about it, after the budget has been represented?
“Yes. You know, usually after the budget has been presented, then there will be a breakdown by the Minister of Finance. So, it will not be proper to begin to unveil what is being taken to the National Assembly on Friday.”
When asked to give an idea of the debt profile, the presidential aide said it is one of the facts contained in the proposal, adding: “All those are things that are in the budget, it will not be fair. My brief is to let you know that the budget was discussed at length, all the details. But as a mark of respect for the National Assembly, which will receive it on Friday, it’s not prudent to begin to give out this information.”
On whether the FEC has endorsed the budget, he maintained: “What was done was that it was discussed extensively and there were inputs, whichever input needs to be reflected before Friday will be done and then it will be presented to the National Assembly.
“Let me tell you, you’ll have the Revised 2023/2025 Fiscal Framework. You will have an Expenditure Profile. You’ll have a Budget Proposal, you’ll have Aggregate Expenditure, Overhead Costs, Personnel Cost, Capital Expenditure and so on and so forth.
“So, all those things have been discussed and where they needed to tweak some of the projections, that has been done. The final approved copy will be presented by the President on Friday.”
The presidential spokesman also explained why the council cannot resume a full in-person meeting which was suspended over the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020.
According to him, “You know, you have to follow the protocols, as done by the steering committee on COVID-19 and the last protocol they announced was that when you are in an open place, you are at liberty to do without your mask, but when you are in an enclosed place, then it is advisable to still use your mask.
“The Council Chambers is enclosed. There are, I think, 42 ministers. By the time 42 ministers congregate there, along with other Cabinet Office staff, it’s becoming choked, then it may not be advisable to have a full-blown physical meeting yet, but I’m sure we’ll get to that point.”
Also responding to a question on the number of vacancies in Resident Electoral Commission (REC) positions that are yet to be filled, he said: “I can tell you that that issue has come up and is receiving consideration.”
