By Ben Agande
Abuja — The Federal Government, yesterday, explained that the 2014 budget has not been assented to by President Goodluck Jonathan because of serious ‘distortions’ included in it by the National Assembly.
Addressing State House correspondents after yesterday’s Federal Executive Council, FEC meeting, the Minister of Information, LabaranMaku, said the areas of distortions were being looked into by the executive arm of government because of the negative impact they might have on the implementation.
Maku said it was sad that mid-way into the year, the 2014 budget was not yet ready for implementation, assuring that everything was being done to resolve the problems.
He said: “The Minister of Finance briefed us today at the FEC relating to the progress on the budget. It is very sad that we have almost entered the middle of the year and we don’t have a budget.
“This indeed is sad that the budget has taken so long in coming and practically we have less than seven months to execute the budget.
”We will do everything possible to reconcile the few differences that emerged in what was transmitted to the government by the National Assembly.”
”There are few areas of distortions and there are those areas that are very serious and we think there is a need to look into them because of the negative impact those distortions may have on the implementation of the budget.
”There is a lot of conversation going on now between the Federal Ministry of Finance and the National Assembly on these issues. And very shortly we believe that we are going to reconcile those areas and then the final budget will be announced to the nation by the President.”
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