Buhari to present N7.3 trillion 2017 budget to National Assembly next week

President Muhammadu Buhari has informed the National Assembly of his readiness to present the 2017 budget proposal.

The president will present his government’s spending plan to a joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives on December 14, a letter he sent to the lawmakers said.

The Senate president, Bukola Saraki, read Mr. Buhari’s letter on Tuesday. The letter was also sent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

According to the letter, Mr. Buhari plans to present the budget at 10 a.m. on December 14.

It is the third time the president would be at the National Assembly since his inauguration last year.

In December 2015, Mr. Buhari presented the 2016 budget to the lawmakers; and in March, he led his South African counterpart, Jacob Zuma, to address the address the National Assembly.

The precursors to the budget – Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper – are currently being considered by the Committees on Appropriations in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Before the referral of MTEF/FSP to the committee, the Senate had faulted the proposals and dismissed the documents as “empty”.

But after Federal Executive Council meeting last Wednesday, Minister for Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udoma said the documents were “well prepared”.