The Ministry of Budget and National Planning has refuted a media report which gave the impression that the 2018 Budget proposals will now be submitted to the National Assembly in January 2018, stating that the process of finalising the 2018 Budget proposals preparatory to submission to the National Assembly in October 2017 as earlier indicated is on course.

James Akpandem, Special Adviser to the Minister of Budget and National Planning said in a statement issued in Abuja today that the Deputy Director in the Department of Economic Growth of the Ministry, Aso Vakporoye, who was reported as representing the Minister has denied the report.

He also stated that the misrepresentation may have emanated from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report which all the publications quoted; as the officer who was said to have made the statement on behalf of the Minister insisted he neither introduced himself as representing the Minister nor said the 2018 Budget will be presented to the National Assembly in January 2018.

He claimed the gathering was just a meeting which the Department of Economic Growth was invited, as usual, by the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) and OXFAM, to discuss issues relating to implementation of agriculture budgets.

According to Akpandem, all the Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government have gone through the required budget preparation procedures and the Ministry of Budget and National Planning concluded bilateral discussions on the budget with them about two weeks ago.

“It is therefore not correct that the Executive plans to present the 2018 Budget proposal to the National Assembly in January 2018,” he said.