LEGISLATORS must ensure that public resources are equitably channelled towards programmes designed to improve the livelihoods of the citizenry, Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Mudenda, has said.
Officially opening a capacity building workshop for Members of Parliament on Budget Analysis for the Public Accounts and Budget and Finance committees respectively in Bulawayo this weekend, Mudenda said the two committees,
charged with the sacred responsibility of demanding unwavering standards on the value-for-money across every tier of government expenditure must be actively involved in every step of the budgetary processes, moving beyond perfunctory examination to critical analysis of the national budget.
"In the past, analysis of the National Budget has been done by others, leaving you as mere spectators in decisions that directly affect the welfare of the people you are sworn to serve.
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"Today, you begin the process of becoming the lion that writes its own story through the mastery of rigorous budget analysis. As the saying goes: 'Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter'," Mudenda said.
According to the Speaker, pro-poor budgeting, which revolves around a fundamental question regarding every budget allocation: "Will this directly improve the life of the poorest family in your constituency?"
Mudenda highlighted that there was need by members to employ Artificial Intelligence (Al) through database analytics in order to unravel the political economy undergirding the daily lives of the people.
He told them that the approach was in consonant with Nelson Mandela's affirmation that: "Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life."
"This pro-poor approach should align the budget to the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063, particularly the forte of the elimination of poverty, achieving zero hunger and ensuring sound health and well-being for all."
Also, of importance, proficiency in budget analysis demanded a comprehensive understanding of the Public Finance Management (PFM) framework.
"The PFM system is built on strong legal and institutional foundations which delineate every stage of the budget process namely, from the initial planning and preparation, approval, implementation and expenditure, to the final monitoring and evaluation level of due analysis.
"Centrally, the framework places fiscal oversight on the committees' responsibility to exercise with probity the budgetary processes. This is where you, as Parliamentarians, must step forward to fulfil your hallowed responsibility.
"The role of Parliament in budget oversight is not a matter of political convenience, executive benevolence or sheer happenstance. It is a constitutional mandate that forms the very juridical foundation of the budgetary processes," stated Mudenda.
He reminded members that the Constitution did not just permit them to scrutinise public expenditure but, also commanded them to do so because they must ensure that public resources were expended on programmes designed to improve the livelihoods of the citizenry with greatest equity.
"The Constitution speaks with crystalline clarity. Section 119(3) states that: '...all institutions and agencies of the State and government at every level are accountable to Parliament," said the Speaker.
Beyond the legal framework which anchors the Select Committees' financial oversight, Mudenda said committees must have an appreciation of the national budget matrix.
"Section 298 provides for principles of public financial management which should act as the beacon for Parliamentary oversight on how public funds ought to be expended prudentially for the sake of democratic accountability.
"Equally, Section 299 complements Section 298 by specifically obligating Parliament to monitor and oversee expenditure by all State institutions."
The primary objective of budget analysis was to identify opportunities for improving the quality and quantity of public spending in counterbalance to the available revenues.
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Furthermore, international protocols have established standards that can assist in measuring whether Budget allocations truly prioritise the needs of the vulnerable people.
"The Abuja Declaration calls for 15% of the National Budget to be allocated to health, while the Dakar Declaration of 2000 and the Incheon Declaration require 20% of government expenses to be allocated to education. In the same vein, the Maputo Declaration sets a target of 10% for the agriculture sector," the Speaker explained.
However, sometimes these international standards were not met because of negative economic imperatives that may be obtaining in those countries.
Mudenda told members that the budget analysis must be guided by the Bill of Rights as provided for in Chapter 4 of the national Constitution.
The need to take cognisance of the climate change impact phenomenon, as more resilient, climate-proof infrastructure development demands robust budgetary allocations was of profound importance.
