The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Amongst, has urged the African Community of Parliamentary Funds Places of work to foster elevated residents participation in finances processes.
Speaker Amongst made the remarks in a speech learn on her behalf by Parliamentary Commissioner Hon Solomon Silwany through the seventh Annual African Community of Parliamentary Funds Places of work (An-PBO) Convention, on the Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort on Monday, 16 September 2024.
Citizen involvement and participation, mentioned Amongst, engenders transparency and accountability in governance and budgeting.
“Parliament of Uganda’s Funds workplace has developed capability to observe authorities programmes by topical research, however this may be additional enhanced through the consideration of the annual finances estimates by citizen participation, like within the case of Zimbabwe that holds a pre-budget convention incorporating residents’ views,” she mentioned.
Amongst mentioned finances officers want sufficient monetary and technical help to ship on their mandate.
“Parliamentary finances places of work should be geared up with instruments and data to supply our Parliaments with the absolute best recommendation on rising points. This may be achieved by capability constructing to make sure a strong and well-functioning Parliamentary Establishment. Investing within the capability of Parliament by coaching, assets and help mechanisms can also be essential,” Amongst mentioned.
She hailed as well timed the theme, ‘Position of PBOs in African Parliaments’ Fiscal Oversights: Contribution to the African Improvement Agenda 2063′, and mentioned it displays the evolving challenges and alternatives within the line of labor of parliamentary finances places of work.
Speaker Amongst was additionally named patron of the African Community of Parliamentary Funds Places of work.
The Deputy Clerk (Parliamentary Affairs), Ms Rose Ikiror, mentioned the Uganda Parliament Funds Workplace has been instrumental in supporting the appropriation and oversight features of Parliament.
“The work that your places of work do throughout Africa is vital in guaranteeing that our parliaments function efficient checks and balances on the Govt, thereby safeguarding the pursuits of our residents,” she mentioned.
She added that the convention will function a significant platform for collaboration, data sharing and capability constructing, and such boards will avail studying from the expertise and greatest practices of taking part international locations.
The Chairperson of the African Community of Parliamentary Funds Places of work, Dr. Dumisani Jantjies, noticed that the finances places of work feed into the function of the legislature and help the work of MPs in dealing with fiscal coverage, and as such, they need to be accorded extra help to ship extra successfully.
The Director of the Parliament of Uganda Funds Workplace, Mr Sulaiman Kiggundu, mentioned the AN-PBO convention will amplify the significance of the collective function in public finance administration, the place parliament finances places of work seem in distinctive positions to help fiscal legislative processes.
“This convention isn’t just about sharing data but additionally constructing a collaborative community the place we are able to proceed to help one another. The partnerships we foster right here will strengthen our collective capability to reply to the fiscal challenges of right this moment and tomorrow,” Kiggundu added.
The week-long AN-PBO convention will function discussions on topical points together with the complimentary function of parliamentary finances places of work in reaching coverage outcomes, and constructing capability for sound monetary administration in African establishments.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.