Online Reporter
Sikhulekelani Moyo [email protected]
Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda has challenged Members of Parliament to strengthen their capacity to critically analyse the national budget, saying rigorous scrutiny of public finances is essential to ensuring development reaches all parts of the country while prioritising the needs of vulnerable communities.
Speaking on the sidelines of a two-day Capacity Building Workshop on Budget Analysis in Bulawayo, Adv Mudenda said Parliament has a constitutional responsibility to scrutinise how public resources are allocated and utilised to promote equitable national development.
“So, it is important that we have the capacity to analyse the proposed budget critically,” he said.
“In the process of analysis, it is important that the budget addresses the question of the pro-poor, areas where development appears to be lagging in terms of roads, health delivery services, education delivery services, and also the question of water supplies.”
Adv Mudenda said legislators must have a clear understanding of the objectives of the national budget and ensure that public resources are distributed fairly across all provinces and communities.
“It is critical that they understand the dynamics regarding what the budget ought to address. And also, in doing so, they are looking at the principle of equity, the proportionality of disbursements of the allocated funds per each vote, so that every corner of the country is taken care of under the principle of proportionality in development, which is equity,” he said.
He, however, acknowledged that limited national resources make it impossible for any budget to meet every need at once.
“But no budget in the world can attempt to equalise the needs of the people. So, the question of priorities is critical in analysing the budget,” said Adv Mudenda.
The Speaker said Parliament’s oversight role is guided by both the Constitution and the Public Finance Management Act, which require legislators to monitor how allocated funds are spent throughout the financial year.
“It is important, therefore, that the members of Parliament are guided by the constitutional mandate, which they must follow, as expounded in Section 119(3) of the Constitution, as well as the Public Finance Management Act, particularly on the issue of demanding monthly, quarterly and annual reports to find out how the proposed budgetary allocations have been expended to ensure that the public purse is managed prudently,” he said.
Adv Mudenda emphasised the need for continuous training to equip Members of Parliament with the technical skills required to effectively interrogate budget proposals and monitor public expenditure.
“They need those skills, and hence the continual exposure that Parliament has tried to ensure Members of Parliament receive,” he said.
The two-day workshop brought together members of the Portfolio Committees on Energy and Power Development, Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Information and Communication
Technology, Postal and Courier Services, and Media, Information and Broadcasting Services.
The training is aimed at strengthening legislators’ technical capacity to interpret, interrogate and track budget performance, with particular emphasis on ensuring that public expenditure addresses service delivery gaps in infrastructure, healthcare, education and water provision.
