Instructions from Cabsec on preparation of notes for cabinet
The Cabinet Secretary instructs that
(i) subject to conditions elaborated in the subsequent paragraphs, no fresh inter-ministerial consultations would be required if the recommendations of the EFC/PIB are proposed to be accepted by the sponsoring Ministry;
(ii) after receipt of the recommendations of the EFC/PIB, the sponsoring Ministry/Department will, as soon as feasible, finalise the note for the Cabinet/Cabinet Committees with the approval of the Minister-in-Charge of the sponsoring Ministry/Department. The note will thereafter be referred to the Ministry of Finance for obtaining the approval of the Minister of Finance-Simultaneously, a copy of the draft note will also be forwarded to the Prime Minister's Office for comments, if any. However, the requirement of waiting for 15 days for receipt of comments of PMO would not apply in cases where all other formalities as per the stipulated procedure have been completed;
(iii) in the interregnum, the consulted Ministries/Departments would, after receipt of the EFC/PIB minutes, check that their viewpoint has been correctly reflected in the EFC/PIB minutes and forward their comments, if any, to the sponsoring Ministry within a period of 7 days from the date of the issue of the EFC/PIB minutes. Any comments received from the consulted Ministries will be duly reflected in the note for the Cabinet/Cabinet Committees by the sponsoring Ministry;
(iv) as per usual practice, any comments received from PMO by the sponsoring Ministries before forwarding the note to Cabinet Secretariat, will be taken into account without any reference to PMO in the body of the note;
(v) in cases where recommendations of the EFC/PIB are not proposed to be accepted or the proposal is further modified by the sponsoring Ministry/Department for various reasons, fresh comments of all the Ministries required to be consulted, will have to be obtained on the draft note for the Cabinet/Cabinet Committees.
EFC = Expenditure Finance Committee
PIB = Public Investment Board