By Vera Wisdom-Bassey
Budget Office of the Federation, Abuja, has commenced training of its staff toward the preparation and implementation of the 2018 budget.
The three days nationwide training of Budget Officers from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) commenced on Monday, August 7, 2017 and ended on Wednesday, August 9, 2017, at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, venue of the training.
The purpose of the training was to prepare personnel for 2018 budget preparation using the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), a new technique introduced into the budget system to make its work easier and less costly.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the training, the Director General, Budget Office of the Federation, Mr. Ben Akabueze, who was represented by Mr. Anslem Anyawu, Director, Fiscal Policy Budget, elaborated the essence of the training, which is to equip personnel with adequate knowledge, skills and needed tools to prepare and submit the 2018 budget on a scheduled time frame. The training took place in the six geopolitical zones of the country including Abuja, Ibadan, Uyo, Kaduna, Enugu and Lagos, with 4,250 personnel participating.
For the 2018 budget preparation, the training will enable the budget office use the GIFMIS preparation module instead of the former GIFMIS budget execution, which has been in use in the past years. The GIFMIS will carter for both execution and preparation at the same time.
One of the benefits of the GIFMIS budget preparation will include less cost for the country; it will enable personnel submit the budget proposal for 2018 on time to National Assembly by first week of October, which is the expected dead line of submission.