House refers budget bill to standing committee

? Postpones national census, gives legal personalities to religious council

 By Abdurezak Mohammed

ADDIS ABABA – The House of Peoples’ Representatives yesterday referred next year’s federal government budget draft proclamation to the Revenue, Budget, and Finance Standing Committee for further scrutiny.

The joint session of House of Peoples’ Representatives and House of Federation also postponed the 4th national population and housing census for the 3rd time and decided to conduct within two years after the COVID-19 pandemic comes at bay.

In its 16th regular meeting, the House referred the 2013 Fiscal Year Federal Government Budget draft Proclamation which proposes 476, 012,952, 445 ETB for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2012 E.C.

MPs also held warm discussion on the draft proclamation after Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide, presented the proposed budget plan to the parliament.

Meanwhile, the house approved proclamations to provide legal personalities for Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council and Ethiopian Council of Gospel Believers’ Churches. It also endorsed the public enterprises privatization proclamation.