Regional MPs call for transparency in public finance

Members of Parliament attending the sixth Eastern Africa Association of Public Accounts Committee (EAAPAC) meeting in Kigali have called on African leaders to be transparent and patriotic when dealing with public funds.While discussing budget expenditure and control, the association’s secretary general who also doubles as the chairperson of PAC-Kenya, Boni Khalwale, said there is need for patriotism among leaders to stem challenges like corruption. Khalwale was leading the discussion on budgetary allocation to the legislature and its effects.“As national leaders, the challenges that we face are to a great extent similar on this continent, we must embrace patriotism to tackle some of these challenges.”Khalwale said there is no way African lawmakers can effectively accomplish their duties without the spirit of patriotism.“So many African leaders, and you all agree that we are the African leaders, lead with a view of having an opportunity to steal for themselves, to steal for their families, to steal for their relatives, to steal for the clan, to steal for tribe, and to allow friends to steal on behalf of their families, their clans and their tribes”, he said.“That is why we have oversight role in parliament. If this attitude was not there, things would be automatic, but because they are not, we are forced to do what you do in your respective parliaments. Meanwhile, Khalwale defended Kenyan lawmakers on their alleged huge pay.“I know some of you have been told a lie, that members of parliament of the republic of Kenya rip the national treasury,“That we are overpaid and all manner of stories. Nothing could be further away from the truth.”He explained that whereas national budget is KShs1.5 trillion, the budget of the new expanded parliament is KShs1.8bn.According to Khalwale, Kenyan MPs use the money to pay for salaries of their support staff, lawmakers’ salaries and emoluments, cover local and international travel expenses and their staff, pay parliament utilities, buy vehicles, cover maintenance and repairs of parliament, cover mortgage schemes and other things as approved in a transparent process.Uganda’s Jack Sabiiti appeared not convinced. Sabiiti said he was fascinated by the presentation of the Kenyan delegates on the issue of the legislature having financial autonomy but was concerned just looking at the 0.12 percent budget allocation to MPs.Sabiti said: “This is a lot of money, given the money you get and you should remember that us, we are the people overseeing what the executive does. If we overspend on ourselves, as the legislature, we become a problem also.” I would like my brother from Kenya to throw more light on overfunding individual members of parliament at the expense of the entire population.”Responding particularly to Sabiiti’s queries, Khalwale stressed that the KShs1.8 billion for MPs is not just a one line item in the budget as the clerk and the parliamentary service commission must argue their case and their case must receive approval from parliament.Khalwale said: “All transactions of parliament are conducted in public. They are transmitted live by television to the whole country. If members blindly debate the budget pertaining to their welfare, for example, they risk losing their seats because voters are watching live. There is total transparency.”The ongoing five-day conference is being held under the theme: “Building the foundation of an effective financial management system through transparency and accountability in the budget formulation and spending process.”PAC teams from Southern Africa Development Community and the Western Africa Association of Public Accounts Committees are also attending.

National

Regional MPs call for transparency in public finance