Parliament has set tough guidelines that Legislators are supposed to follow ahead of the consideration of the 2019/2020 ministerial policy statements for the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
While issuing the communication during today’s plenary sitting, Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah (in featured photo) said that for Parliament to have a smooth flow of the budgeting process, the MPs will be required to choose one topic they will submit on after registering first with the Clerk to Parliament.
Oulanyah said that with Parliament having sixteen sectoral committees and due to the great task ahead compared to the time they have, Parliament will sit from Monday to Friday for the budget period compared to the Tuesday-Thursday sittings Parliament has been having.
He then laid rules of the budget consideration noting; “During consideration of the ministerial policy statement, the Parliament will choose to speak on one topic, a member will be allowed to speak for three minutes and therefore, a precise and concise cause of action advisable to MPs. Members are advised to choose one committee to submit on and register with the clerk, the first fifteen members to register will be allowed to debate on that sector. “
With the 30th April deadline for passing ministerial policy statements drawing close, the Deputy Speaker said that although the sectoral Committees are concluding the process of considering the budget, the process has been slow with blame lying on the Ministry of Finance that has been accused of delaying to effect changes in the ministerial policy statements.
He said Ministry of Finance has been delaying to make adjustments in allocation of figures which in turn delays the Ministries to complete submission of ministerial policy statements.
“I call upon the Ministry of Finance henceforth to clean up its house and meet its obligation as part of the Public Finance Management Act. Without addressing such acts, Parliament will continue having difficulty in meeting the timelines of processing the budget spelt out in the statute,” Oulanyah said.
