Speaker of Parliament Anita Among led the House in discussions about the upcoming national budget on December 13, 2023, . Following the Finance Minister’s submission of the National Budget Framework Paper (BFP), Speaker Among urged Members of Parliament to promptly begin the process of approving the 2024/2025 National Budget.
The BFP serves as the government’s key strategy document, connecting its policies with the annual budget. It includes crucial information such as revenue projections, resource allocations, priority initiatives, and proposed sectoral spending plans.
Speaker Among introduced new timelines for the budget cycle, emphasizing the importance of early preparation. She highlighted the need to avoid processing tax bills and the Appropriation Bill on the last day, stressing the importance of early consideration to understand the sources of revenue.
During the plenary sitting on December 12, 2023, Speaker Among urged sectoral committees to review the Budget Framework Paper and report to the Committee on the Budget by January 15, 2024—earlier than the deadline set by the Public Finance Management Act, 2015, which designates February 1.
The Budget Committee is then expected to report to Parliament on the Budget Framework Paper by January 25, 2024.
Speaker Among also directed the tabling of Ministerial Policy Statements by March 10, 2024, with the Leader of the Opposition presenting alternative policy statements by March 20, 2024.
By March 25, 2024, Speaker Among mandated the presentation of the proposed National Budget for 2024/2025 in Parliament. Subsequently, House Sectoral Committees are to report on ministerial statements by April 15, 2024.
The final step in the process involves Parliament processing tax bills, which Speaker Among insisted should be ready by May 1, 2024.
