Revised Budget Estimates may arise on an ongoing basis as the result of reallocations (virements) between budget lines, within established guidelines, or cumulatively, based on the need to revise the overall budget through supplementary budget estimates. In addition to revisions relating to the rest of the year, all spending already incurred outside of budget (within guidelines) must be approved by the Assembly within 60 days through a supplementary budget appropriation law.
Linkages
Upstream: Budget Estimates, Budget Appropriation, Budget Implementation Circular, Work Plan (and Revisions), Quarterly Reports
Downstream: Revised Budget Appropriation (Supplementary Appropriation)
Description
Guided by County Finance and Economic Planning, and referencing the Budget Implementation Circular, departments will manage implementation through their approved budgets, work and procurement plans, and manage cash flow within a sound commitment controls framework, including control over virements. With respect to supplementary budget estimates, departments will establish the state of implementation to date from internal reporting, and project their forward activity, through revised or updated work and procurement plans for the rest of the year. County Finance and Economic Planning will, following review and interaction with the departments, consolidate these supplementary requests into realistic revised budget estimates for review by the CBEF, approval by the County Executive Committee and submission to the County Assembly together with the necessary appropriation bill. The Assembly reviews these estimates – receiving internal and external stakeholder inputs as much as is practical – and approves them, sometimes subject to final changes for the County Executive to effect. Once this is done, the County Assembly passes the Supplementary Budget Appropriation Bill, which is then enacted into law by the Governor.
Resources
Laws and Regulations
Public Finance Management Act, No 18 of 2012
Public Finance Management (County Government) Regulations 2015
Guidelines and Tools
County Budget Operational Manual – National Treasury, 2014
Other Resources
Guideline to Public Expenditure Management – Budget Execution, The International Monetary Fund
Treasury Reference Model – World Bank/IMF (Hashim and Allan Paper). 2001
