Minister insists 100% implementation of budget still possible

The Federal Government said on Saturday that it has not ruled out the 100 per cent implementation of the 2016 budget signed on Friday by President

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udo Udoma, gave the assurance in a statement issued by Mr Akpandem James, the Media Adviser to the Minister.

“The Federal Government aims, and will be working, to achieve 100 per cent implementation of the 2016 budget in spite of the late signing of the 2016 Appropriation Bill.

“This clarification becomes necessary to clear the misrepresentation by some newspapers that full implementation of the budget has been ruled out because of the late start,” he said.

Udoma explained, while responding to questions from State House correspondents on Friday, that he had “conceded that the late approval might constrain full implementation of the budget.”

The minister, however, said he had, at the same time, said “the Federal Government intends to still try its best to achieve 100 per cent implementation.”

According to him, at no time did he rule out the possibility of full implementation as indicated by one or two newspapers.