adminZvamaida Murwira in Johannesburg, South Africa
African governments should explore alternative sources of funding by devising strategies for domestic resource mobilisation and move away from donor dependence from the West that comes with strings attached, Sadc Parliamentary Forum Vice President Mr Joseph Njobvuyalema has said.
He said there was need to depart from aid dependency and focus on self-financing of projects as that would in turn increase local ownership of development processes and out- comes.
Mr Njobvuyalema said this on Wednesday evening while addressing legislators from Sadc attending a joint session of the Sadc Parliamentary Forum regional standing committee during a working dinner on the Role of Parliament on Domestic Resource Mobilisation organised by European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA).
“In contrast to mobilising external resources through foreign direct investment, aid, trade, and debt relief, domestic resource offers greater domestic policy ownership and greater coherence with domestic needs.
“It does not suffer from the disadvantages associated with FDI and foreign aid, which are tied to the objectives of foreign investors and donors,” said Mr Njobvuyalema, who comes from Malawi.
He said domestic resource mobilisation was important for African countries because it was potentially the biggest source of long-term financing for sustainable development and an important source of government to provide public goods and services.
His comments dovetailed with President Mugabe, who has on several occasions on international platforms urged Africa to think of raising money on its own and desist from the West for funding.
Mr Njobvuyalema said domestic resource mobilisation was the most stable and predictable source of revenue, which had the potential to strengthen fiscal institutions and long term fiscal planning.
He said the failure by developed countries to uphold development aid pledge they made last year in Scotland, United Kingdom and resultant dwindling aid, required focus on raising money locally.
“Resource scarcity for developing countries have been exacerbated by the global recession which many economies are still to recover from and recently the migration crisis which now has preoccupied the donor countries,” said Mr Njobvuyalema.
AWEPA representative Ms Govender Kubeshni said legislators ought to know issues like the important role of taxation, budget oversight, maximising income from extractive industries in domestic resource mobilisation.
Meanwhile, Sadc PF standing committee on Human and Social Development chairperson Mr Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam, said there was need for strong synergies between media and parliament in ensuring active participation of citizens in activities of the nation. “To become a conduit through which parliaments and parliamentarians communicate with the people, it is essential that the media enjoy freedom of the Press and a level of independence.
“Our national parliaments can and should create conducive environment for the media even through legislation which protects and facilitates the work of the media,” said Mr Emam from South Africa.
Zimbabwe is being represented by Matabeleland Senator Tambudzani Mohadi, Manicaland Sen Monica Mutsvangwa, Zaka MP Cde Samson Mukanduri (all from Zanu-PF), Mutare Central MP Mr Innocent Gonese (MDC-T) and Bulawayo Metropolitan MP Ms Jasmine Toffa (MDC.)
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