Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) Executive Director Patrick Nshindano says Parliament should conclude the enactment of the Public Finance Management Bill as it resumes business after next week.

Nshindano told News Diggers! in an interview that his organisation expected the House to prioritise the strengthening of accountability mechanisms in the country as it resumes sitting on February 20th.

“As civil society for poverty reduction, we are quiet expectant of Parliament resuming after next week because there are a lot of pending issues especially with regard to public financing management. You recall that at the end of Parliament session last year, one of the key critical bills which was tabled was public finance management bill which has not yet been enacted. One of the things that we hope will be finalised and concluded is to strengthen accountability. There is also the issue to do with the budget, the planning and budgeting bill which should promote adherence to the budget,” Nshindano said.

He said there was need to find ways of managing the budget deficit without diverting public funds.

“Year-in year-out, we see issues to do with outside budget expenditure. We need to find ways of how we can be able to manage our budget deficits and ensure that resources that are meant for specific programs are actually spent on those specific programs. That is one key policy instrument or legal instrument that is going to ensure that, that is done. But also, more importantly, we will be able to align to resources that are in terms of the Seventh National Development Plan which was very progressive policy pronouncement with regard to accelerating our national development. There will also be need tackle issues to do with poverty reduction in the country and human development as a whole,” said Nshindano.

“So I think one of the things that Parliament needs to do is to try and see how they can push and call for the executive to be able to table these very progressive bills that have been pending for a long time. There is need to sum them up in terms of enacting the public finance bill, planning and budgeting bill, the public procurement bill, the loans and guarantees bill. These are critical, especially now that we are in this economic stabilisation period as a country.”