Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 102850,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/102850/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 247,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "percent is not the growth that we were expecting. We still have a way to go. Working together, we do hope that this year, we should be able to achieve a growth level of around 5 per cent, at which stage we will be in a much better position to be able to pay the full import of the agreement that we had. So, I expect, and do hope, that our teachers will be understanding and will allow us to move together. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, security as I stated, is a major issue in our country. We cannot have growth without security. That is why this time round, we have allocated an increased amount to the security departments in order to ensure that our cities and rural areas are, indeed, secure because security is critical for economic growth. Issues have been raised regarding Agenda Four Items. I want to once again assure this House that in this Budget, we have made available the necessary resources for the Interim Independent Electoral Commission to conduct the referendum and for the Committee of Experts on Constitution Review to be able to undertake their civic education on the proposed Constitution. This is one area that I can say is fully funded. The budgetary process is not a process that begins and ends in June. It is a process that begins as soon as one Budget is passed. This is what I would like to say in conclusion. For hon. Members, it is important that we take an active part in the budget- making process from the beginning of September. It becomes very difficult when proposals are submitted in late May for inclusion in the June Budget when the necessary funds, therefore, have already been committed to other sectors. So, I would like to encourage hon. Members to participate at the very onset. I would also like to encourage hon. Members that it is the Government’s intention to raise the absorption rate of Ministries. This is a function of the relevant line Ministries. It is also a function of this House; the relevant committees should be able to meet with the Accounting Officers and Ministries to establish where they are, in terms of implementation of their specific projects. It is a sad situation when money that has been voted for particular development projects is returned to the Exchequer at the end of the financial year because of lack of absorption. It is also sad that programmes that we have developed in conjunction with our development partners fail to take off again as a result of poor absorption. There are, indeed, some issues that during the course of the financial year, we will bring to this House to help us deal with the issue of absorption. There have been complaints, for example, with regard to procurement and the time it takes to procure. We have seen that, for example, with the implementation of the Economic Stimulus Package. It did take a great deal of time because of the procurement regulations that we had to go through. This is an area that I would like to look at in conjunction with hon. Members. Another area in which I will really be looking forward for support from hon. Members is in terms of some of the legislation that we will be proposing in the Finance Bill. This legislation is, amongst other things, aimed at improving the business climate in order to ensure faster growth in our country, and removing some of the bottlenecks that have been constraints to the growth of business. We will also want to address some of the issues, especially on the insurance sub-sector, that have resulted in slow or poor payments to affected persons."
}