Budget policy statement offers no reprieve after raid on our pockets

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Given, there have been many things competing for public attention this past week. The widely expected cabinet retreat happened at the Lake Naivasha Resort at the start of the week. Buoyed by the refreshing moments in Naivasha, the National Assembly easily passed the Housing Levy bill a day after the retreat. As things stand, it is unlikely the dance will be stopped at the Senate.

But alongside these events, the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) was quietly submitted to the National Assembly on February 15, as expected, by Section 25 of the Public Financial Management Act of 2012. This is the last date set by the Act when the economic plan must be submitted to Parliament as part of the constitutional requirement on public participation in the planning process.