Regional House accounts committees meet in Kigali

Assessment of previous activities and review of the upcoming business will be the main focus of a two-day parliamentary meeting, which gets underway in Kigali, today.It brings together lawmakers from Public Accounts Committees (PACs) from two regional groupings; the Eastern Africa Association of Public Account Committees (EAPAC), and the Southern Africa Development Community Organization of Public Accounts Committee (SADCOPAC). The conference will consider upcoming activities under a project funded by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the World Bank Institute (WBI), according to organizers.Considered as a crucial tool for promoting transparency and accountability in public spending, PAC committees are standing committees in national assemblies. They are responsible for ensuring openness and transparency in the way taxpayers’ money is spent. Rwandan Parliament set up PAC early last year. Juvénal Nkusi, the chair of PAC in the Chamber of Deputies, told The New Times, on Sunday, that the fact that East African Community (EAC) and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) can join hands in working towards enhancing mechanisms to ensure transparency and accountability in government expenditure was remarkably vital.“We (Rwanda) were not members, previously, but now that we have set up our own PAC, our counterparts will be keen to help us make more progress,” Nkusi said.Rwanda’s Speaker Rose Mukantabana, the chair of the Uganda’s PAC and chair, EAAPAC, Kassiano Wadri; the chair of SADCOPAC, Amos Fish Mahlalela and Juvenal Nkusi are set to address the opening session.On Tuesday, the lawmakers will plan joint activities for 2012-2014 and look into matters pertaining to institutional strengthening of the SADCOPAC Secretariat, develop a to-do-list, decide on division of labour, concur on the way forward and

National

Regional House accounts committees meet in Kigali