How Ezra Suruma makes Budgets
Jun 14, 2008
FOR the budget to arrive at the point of presentation, it will have gone through various stages, according to William Oketcho the Parliamentary Budget Committee chairman.
By Ibrahim Kasita
FOR the budget to arrive at the point of presentation, it will have gone through various stages, according to William Oketcho the Parliamentary Budget Committee chairman.
“The process, done according to the Budget Act 2001, starts in September. Monies not used by the spending agencies in the previous financial year are ascertained by the finance ministry,†he explains.
In October, the secretary to the treasury issues a budget call circular to the spending agencies to start preparing for the next budget. It specifies spending limits within which the agencies must budget.
“In November, the finance ministry invites the spending agencies for a national budget conference,†Oketcho explains. The conference guides them and also gets their feedback on the new financial limits.
The agencies then refine their budgets and seek approval from their sector ministries.
By January 14, all ministries have to have finalised their budgets and sent them to the finance ministry for consolidation. The finance ministry holds discussions with the agencies, makes clarifications and presents the national budget framework to Parliament by April 1.
“Later, it is sent to the parliamentary budget committee, which presents a report about its findings to the parliamentary sessional committees,†Oketcho says.
These committees scrutinise the budget framework from each of their sectors and report back to the budget committee by April 25.
The budget committee consolidates these reports and submits a final report to the Speaker of Parliament, who sends it to the President by May 15. That becomes the Parliament’s recommendation in the next financial budget.
From May 15, the President considers the report and a budget speech is written to be presented to the nation by the finance minister not later than June 15.
“Reading the budget does not mean that the money has been approved,†Oketcho asserts.
Spending agencies must prepare policy statements on how they will use their allocation and submit them to Parliament by June 30. The Speaker of Parliament sends each sector statement to the respective sessional committees for scrutiny. A report is then presented to Parliament by August 31.
An Appropriation Bill is prepared and presented by the finance ministry. The Bill is committed to the Budget Committee by the Speaker of Parliament, where it is scrutinized to ensure that figures appearing there are in line with the reports from the sessional committees.
“The Budget Committee chairperson presents the report to Parliament, it is debated and when the Appropriation Bill is passed, it becomes an Appropriation Act. When this is done, the budget has been passed,†Oketcho concludes.
FOR the budget to arrive at the point of presentation, it will have gone through various stages, according to William Oketcho the Parliamentary Budget Committee chairman.
“The process, done according to the Budget Act 2001, starts in September. Monies not used by the spending agencies in the previous financial year are ascertained by the finance ministry,†he explains.
In October, the secretary to the treasury issues a budget call circular to the spending agencies to start preparing for the next budget. It specifies spending limits within which the agencies must budget.
“In November, the finance ministry invites the spending agencies for a national budget conference,†Oketcho explains. The conference guides them and also gets their feedback on the new financial limits.
The agencies then refine their budgets and seek approval from their sector ministries.
By January 14, all ministries have to have finalised their budgets and sent them to the finance ministry for consolidation. The finance ministry holds discussions with the agencies, makes clarifications and presents the national budget framework to Parliament by April 1.
“Later, it is sent to the parliamentary budget committee, which presents a report about its findings to the parliamentary sessional committees,†Oketcho says.
These committees scrutinise the budget framework from each of their sectors and report back to the budget committee by April 25.
The budget committee consolidates these reports and submits a final report to the Speaker of Parliament, who sends it to the President by May 15. That becomes the Parliament’s recommendation in the next financial budget.
From May 15, the President considers the report and a budget speech is written to be presented to the nation by the finance minister not later than June 15.
“Reading the budget does not mean that the money has been approved,†Oketcho asserts.
Spending agencies must prepare policy statements on how they will use their allocation and submit them to Parliament by June 30. The Speaker of Parliament sends each sector statement to the respective sessional committees for scrutiny. A report is then presented to Parliament by August 31.
An Appropriation Bill is prepared and presented by the finance ministry. The Bill is committed to the Budget Committee by the Speaker of Parliament, where it is scrutinized to ensure that figures appearing there are in line with the reports from the sessional committees.
“The Budget Committee chairperson presents the report to Parliament, it is debated and when the Appropriation Bill is passed, it becomes an Appropriation Act. When this is done, the budget has been passed,†Oketcho concludes.