Our correspondent learnt on Sunday that work on the fiscal document had reached an advanced stage with the conclusion of defence by Ministries, Departments and Agencies on Saturday.
It was further learnt that what was left was for the MDAs to effect the corrections made during the defence and submit clean copies to the Budget Office.
A top government official told our correspondent on condition of anonymity on Sunday that the Budget Office would, thereafter, present the document to Buhari who would present it to the Federal Executive Council for approval.
It is after the council’s approval that a date will be fixed for the presentation of the budget to the National Assembly.
It may be recalled that Buhari presented the 2018 budget proposal to a joint session of the National Assembly on November 7, 2017.
The source, however, said the Executive arm of the government alone should not take the blame for the budget presentation coming later than the date it was presented last year.
He said federal lawmakers should also share in the blame for allegedly being absent at their duty posts most of the time.
He cited an example of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, which he claimed could not be submitted to the National Assembly when it was ready because of the lawmakers’ absence.
He described the approval of the MTEF as critical to the presentation of the budget itself.
(Punch)
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