Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 105432,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/105432/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 317,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Mbau",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 182,
        "legal_name": "Elias Peter Mbau",
        "slug": "elias-mbau"
    },
    "content": "As regards the criteria on which resources were allocated, it is a requirement, under the Fiscal Management Act and in the Standing Orders, that the Budget Policy Statement would provide the criteria used to apportion available resources into programmes and projects. However, the Committee did not observe that the criteria given in the Budget Policy Statement will lead to prioritization and targeting of resources to achieve better provision of goods and services. The same left a lot to be desired. It does not give the amounts of the total resources which are going to be used for ongoing programmes and the amounts to be allocated to new programmes. To this end, the Committee observed that there is the danger of going back to doing business as usual, where the Budget is incremental rather than being based on specific needs and outputs derived from known criteria, priority, needs and objectives of this country. The Budget Policy Statement further does not lend itself to detailed analysis and interrogation. For instance, there is no previous performance from the past Budget in the Statement that was laid on the Table here that can be perused. So, we are saying, as a Committee, that in future we will want to see priorities that will move us towards Vision 2030 provided for the upcoming periods of the budgeting system. On the Economic Stimulus Package, the Budget Policy Statement gives conflicting information on this package. On one side, it talks of there being a provision of Kshs22 billion. On the other side, it continues to indicate that this is not yet to be decided upon. These two conflicting statements contained in the Budget Policy Statement BPS cannot help members of the Committee to know whether there is clarity on what is required and whether the Economic Stimulus Package (ESP) which as you all know, should have been based on the principles of ensuring timeliness, quick disbursement, where the same should have been used to spur economic growth and the same be diversified. It should have come upfront and sustainable. As we speak today, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, you will also recall that indeed one of the Questions that was asked to the Office of the Prime Minister; he replied to the performance of the Kazi Kwa Vijana ( KKV) and the ESP. We are calling for the streamlining of the implementation of money voted in this package so that it not be consumed in the normal budgeting of votes. On austerity measures, the Government definitely requires some austerity measures just like it was the case in the last financial year. The committee reiterates the need to adopt more austerity measures that should lead to resources being released for development as opposed to recurrent expenditure. The Budget Policy Statement does not mention or imply any desire to prioritise or cut down on expenditures in order to reduce the huge budgetary deficit. Even last year, the budget of 2009/2010, the savings that may have accrued from the change of cars from the so-called fuel guzzlers to the smaller Volkswagen Passat were not highlighted in the Budget Policy Statement. There is no mention of expected further savings. The Committee is concerned over the Government’s ability to finance and continue to sustain the high levels of public debts."
}