President Muhammadu Buhari was still expecting the corrected version of the 2016 Budget

The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, on Wednesday said President Muhammadu Buhari was still expecting the corrected version of the 2016 Budget details from the National Assembly.

She expressed the hope that the document would be transmitted to the President either later on Wednesday or on Thursday.

Ahmed spoke while briefing State House correspondents at the end of a meeting of the Federal Executive Council presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

She was joined at the briefing by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khadija Bukar-Ibrahim; and the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar.

The minister said the Executive and the Legislature were working hard to resolve the budget impasse, adding that the exercise was at its final stage.

“On the 2016 Budget, I must say that the Executive and Legislature have worked very hard putting things together, reviewing the details of the budget and it is at its final stage.

“So may be between today (Wednesday) and tomorrow (Thursday), the ‎National Assembly will start the process of transmitting the details to the President,” she said.

Ahmed said the council discussed the strategic implementation plan for the yet-to-be signed 2016 budget‎, adding that the ministry listed priority economic activities that should be undertaken to ensure that the purpose for which the budget was made is realised.

She said the purpose of the budget was to stimulate the economy, create jobs for youths and to extend support to the poor and the vulnerable‎.