36th Regular Session of HPR Underway in Presence of PM Abiy

Addis Ababa: Ethiopia's House of Peoples Representatives (HPR) is holding its 36th regular session in the presence of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.The Prime Minister will address questions from members of the House in addition to his explanation about the federal government's draft budget proposed by Council of Ministers last month.Recall the Council of Ministers has proposed a close to 1 trillion Birr federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year.The budget is prepared in tune with the Ten-year Prospective Development Plan and the 2017-2021 medium-term macroeconomic and fiscal frameworks of the country by considering the government's financial capacity and expected revenues as well as expenses.According to Ministry of Finance, the proposed budget prioritizes domestic funding sources and invests in productive sectors to boost productivity and economic output.Poverty reduction and sustainable development are central to the budget plan, whose 92 percent of the source is expected to come from tax collection .The House of Peoples Representatives in its session today is also expected to approve this budget.Diplomats of various countries and representatives of multilateral organizations based in Addis Ababa religious leaders and other invited guests are in attendance.Source: Ethiopian News Agency