Fifty-sixth Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, dated 2 September 2003:
"There is consensus among the Public Accounts Committees of African Parliaments that stricter control and monitoring of the expenditure of the Executive Authority should be a priority."
The Chairperson of SCOPA, Francois Beukman, attended the World Bank Institute and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s regional seminar for African multiparty democracies in Accra, Ghana that was held from 11-14 August 2003.
The Conference was attended by members of Public Accounts Committees from Botswana, Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Namibia and Zambia. Senior management officials from the World Bank and the Commonwealth also attended the conference.
This followed a similar seminar presented by the World Bank and the CPA for the Indian Ocean area in Sri Lanka in June.
The focus of the seminar was on three central themes, namely:
The strengthening of the role of Parliament in relation to the Executive Authority;
The strengthening of the role of the Public Accounts Committees with regard to the Executive Authority;
Ways in which the capacity and impact of Public Accounts Committees can be strengthened.
The seminar not only had the value of a talking-shop, but also afforded members of Parliament an opportunity to place the specific requirements of Public Accounts Committees on the table.
In its project financing for client states, the World Bank renders financial support to parliaments, and specifically to public accounts committees.
One of the reasons for this is that new democracies do not possess sufficient funds for the oversight and monitoring role of Parliament.
In the case of the South African Parliament, the EU has, over the past few years, made major contributions towards the establishment of a more effective Parliament.
In the case of APAC (the Association of Public Accounts Committees of South Africa), direct financial support is provided for training and capacity-building on the part of members of Parliament.
The Department of Foreign Development of the United Kingdom also provides assistance to SCOPA for research support and capacity-building on the part of the committee.
The dilemma is that African parliaments do not have sufficient resources for researchers and experts, when compared to those of the Executive Authority."
Strong Executive Authority governments possess adequate resources, whilst the oversight committees of parliaments have to play a comprehensive role with limited support.
It is therefore of cardinal importance that parliaments should make adequate provision in their three-year MTEF expenditure frameworks for primary oversight committees.
The World Bank has moved away from individual project support towards budgetary support. The focus is on working together with parliaments.
The World Bank’s support in respect of budgetary aid to parliaments is to triple from [500 000] US dollars to 1,4 billion US dollars in the next 18 months.
It emerged at the conference that quite a number of states are placing a far greater emphasis on the combating of corruption, and specifically the role of parliamentary committees. Parliamentary monitoring between budgetary approval and expenditure is coming into focus to a greater extent than before.
In Ghana a national inquiry has been conducted by the Public Accounts committee into corruption in the Justice department.
In Kenya a campaign is under way against corruption in government departments.
It is apparent that appropriate follow-up procedures are a problem in the case of most committees, and most committees desire a better reaction from the Executive Authority.
The World Bank is conducting an investigation into the role of the Public Accounts Committees. Thirty committees in South-East Asia, the Americas and Europe have already been investigated in order to advance accountability in relation to the Executive Authority.
The investigation is being extended to Africa, and a comprehensive questionnaire was completed by chairpersons of public accounts committees in Accra.
It is symbolically important that the members of Parliament of the West African Commonwealth states and those of Southern Africa should discuss and analyse the issues, since the third and fourth waves of democratisation in West Africa are decisive for the strengthening of multiparty democracy.
The capital city of Ghana, which, after a period of military government in the 1980s, has been a democracy for the past few years, is currently also the centre for the occurrence of the Liberian peace process. The Ashanti-Goldfields initiative, too, makes Ghana a natural source for co-operation with South Africa.
SCOPA South Africa has made use of the opportunity to make the new SCOPA working method guidelines available to the other public accounts committees.
The Chairperson of SCOPA, Francois Beukman, also participated as a member of the panel dealing with the theme "Strengthening of the Role of Public Accounts Committees".
Rajaz Gomez, Director: Development of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, emphasised the following aspects:
There is a need for greater contact between international organisations and parliaments, and specifically public accounts committees.
A major challenge lies in getting members of Parliament interested in the work of Public Accounts Committees.
There should be a greater willingness on the part of parliaments to play an oversight role, aside from the representative and legislative role.
Rick Stapenhurst, Director: Policy of the World Bank Institute:
It is vitally important that researchers/support staff of parliaments be strengthened.
Parliaments must play an active role in promoting anti-poverty strategies.
Parliamentary oversight is a priority for the World Bank in monitoring the expenditure of donor money.
Regional co-operation with regard to training is essential.
Points of consensus reached at the seminar:
The following points of consensus were recommended by participants at the seminar:
It is important to have an independent Auditor-General whose appointment must be approved by Parliament.
The Auditor-General must have officials liaising with Public Accounts Committees.
The Auditor-General must have sufficient resources to perform his/her functions.
The Auditor-General and Public Accounts Committees must act in an impartial manner.
The Auditor-General and public accounts committees must hold joint seminars/workshops in order to share opinions on procedure and policy.
International organisations/donors should assist Public Accounts Committees and Auditors-General with capacity-building.