In preparation for a realistic budget outlook for year 2023-2025 Medium Term Sector Strategy (MTSS), Ogun State Ministry of Budget and Planning has engaged relevant officers in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government.

Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr. Olaolu Olabimtan, who spoke at a training in Abeokuta, for Directors of Planning, Research and Statistics and Accounting Officers in the MDAs, said there was a need for MDAs to have a clear-cut understanding of the advantages derivable from incorporating the MTSS with their action plan towards achieving good governance.

Mr. Olabimtan stated that it was important to improve on the 2019  Medium Term Sectoral Strategy, adding that the MTSS initiative was the last segment of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) enshrined in the State Fiscal Responsibility Law, 2020, making it imperative for MDAs to streamline it with Economic Development Plan of the present administration for sustainability purposes.  

He said, "Some lapses were observed in the MTSS met on ground which include, having it in isolation and not costed. If you want us to achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals and even our own Economic Development agenda as a State government that loves its people, there is a need to understand the concept of MTSS and align it with the programmes, projects and policies of respective MDAs, towards setting a more realistic Budget".

The Commissioner urged participants to ensure linkage to their proposed programmes, projects and suggested policies to the State MTSS for increased budget performance, enjoining  MDAs to synergise with other stakeholders towards achieving the 75 percent target set for year 2022.

Speaking, one of the participants, an officer in the Ogun State Transformation Economic Project, Mr. Fatai Odusanya, applauded the Ministry of Budget and Planning for the timely change on the budget templates, which he said was in line with the international best practices in the preparation of the MTSS, assuring that his agency would put into consideration the mainstreaming of its programmes with the strategy.