crude oil for the future. This will enhance fiscal stability, budget discipline and growth of the country’s revenues from external sources. 4.3.3 Other measures include:  the establishment of Cash Management Committee headed by the Federal Minister of Finance to ensure budget diligence and compliance;  oversight functions of the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly to scrutinize and query any unauthorized expenditure in the FMDAs; and  strengthening the functions/mandate of the EFCC and ICPC to instill probity in the management of public finance. 4.3.4 There are strong indications that Nigeria’s economic reforms are producing positive results particularly in terms of their impact on growth and macroeconomic stability. Achievements in this regard include the following:  reduction in the level of inflation.  a general rise in the rate of economic growth.  moderate decline in poverty index from 65.6 percent in 1996 to 53.4 percent in 2004 and projected to less than 36. 6 in 2009;  improvement in public finance management as a result of appropriate legislation, fiscal and monetary policies (e.g. the Fiscal Responsibility Act, and the Public Procurement Act, etc). Some successes in the fight against corruption, and transparency in governance have contributed to improvement in the country’s sovereign rating and increased government spending on infrastructural development. 42