By Adekola Afolabi
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A two-day workshop for members of Ondo State House of Assembly on Technical support to build their capability to understand and effectively interrogate the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF)  begun yesterday in Akure, the Ondo state capital.

Members of the Assembly at the event expressed confidence that the two-day workshop will equip lawmakers with necessary technicalities and ideals of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework as it relates to the budget plan and process.

The workshop was organised in partnership with the DFID.

In his welcome address, Speaker of the Assembly, Bamidele Oleyelogun, described the MTEF workshop as first of its kind in the history of the state legislative arm, adding that the training will give members additional learning experience on intelligible and rational budget process and plan.

“My colleagues will recall that during the presentation of the year 2018 Budget, Mr Governor presented along with it a document called Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). The document is expected to guide our budgetary system so that the motive behind it can be achieved in record time.

“This training will afford participants to be well acquainted with the requirements, technicalities, and ideals of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework as it relates to the budget”, the Speaker said.

He assured that the parliament will immediately commence legislative actions on MTEF 2019 as soon as it is brought to the Assembly with a view to giving the document necessary legislative approval.

Oleyelogun noted that MTEF will create an enabling environment for investors and development partners, give room for continuity in government action plans, make budget planning and monitoring easy and improve the effort of the state government to achieve more effectively and efficiently with available resources.

He added that it will also afford state government the opportunity to explore new grounds, harness fresh opinions, ideas and consider new suggestion which will translate to reasonable changes in fiscal planning and implementation process in the state, as well as enhance transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business.

“It sets forth a three year rolling plan and target for the expenditure indicators with specific underlying assumptions and risk involved in achieving them”, Oleyelogun stressed.

 Earlier, the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Sunday Olajide, explained that the training was long overdue, noting that it would bring about human capital development among the lawmakers.

The House will follow to the letter the Fiscal Responsibility Law passed by the Assembly last year, stressing that the workshop will provide adequate training and necessary technicalities as regards the MTEF.