The minister of finance in Unity State has requested a 30-day extension to prepare and present the state’s budget amidst concerns about the whereabouts of the 3 percent oil revenue share revenue and delays in budget submission.
Minister Malual Tap who addressed the state parliament on Monday in response to repeated summons dating back to 17 August apologized to lawmakers and said he was not aware of the initial summons and was informed of the second one by Acting Speaker Stephen Mawich.
“I will not fail to present the budget to you members of parliament,” he said.
The chairperson of the Information Committee in the Unity State Legislative Assembly, Stephen Mawich, confirmed that Tap finally appeared before the state parliament in response to the summons.
During the session, Minister Tap requested a 30-day extension to prepare and present the general budget on 25 October.
“Some legislators suggested that the minister should be given only 21 days to present the general budget, while other members supported the minister’s request for 30 days,” Mawich explained. “In the vote that followed, 73 legislators voted in favor of the minister’s 30-day request, while only two legislators supported the 21-day proposal.”
“If he fails to come, we are going to take action against him,” he added.