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"content": "As hon. Members are aware, this House adjourned and proceeded on recess on 15th March, 2012, and as at that date, the deadline stipulated by the Fiscal Management Act on the submission of the Budget Policy Statement had not been breached. The Act at Section 7(2) is alive to the possibility that the Budget Policy Statement could fall due for laying before the House at a time when the House is not sitting and accordingly provides that in such event, the Budget Policy Statement is required to be laid in the National Assembly within the first week of the reconvening of the House. The Minister, in his statement to the House, explained that the Ministry was alive to these provisions and for that reason, took the earliest possible opportunity to comply. It is, therefore, the position, taking one thing with another, that considering the circumstances of this case and the statutory provisions, the Minister for Finance in laying the Budget Policy Statement in this House on the first day upon its reconvening, cannot be said to have acted out of time. As Hon. Members are aware, Standing Order No.7 reads:- “Whenever during a Session the House stands adjourned, whether or not a day has been appointed for the next meeting, the Speaker shall, at the request of the Government or a majority of the Members of the National Assembly (excluding the ex-officio Members), appoint a day or, as the case may be, a day other than the day already appointed for the meeting of the House, and such day having been notified to the Members, by the Speaker by notice in the Gazette, the House shall meet thereon at such time as shall be appointed.” It was, therefore, open to the Executive or Members during the recess to request the re-convening of the House for the purpose of the laying of the Budget Policy Statement. This is not unprecedented. Members will, in fact, recall that when the House re-convened on 14th February, 2012, it was on the request of the Executive, in order to dispose of the specific business of certain Bills relating to the implementation of the Constitution. The failure to request an early re-convening of the House for purposes of the laying of the Budget Policy Statement is, therefore, one that is shared between the Executive and the rest of the membership of the House. Hon. Members, I will pause, again, to allow the hon. Members at the door to come in."
}