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{
    "id": 282011,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/282011/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 410,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dr. Laboso",
    "speaker_title": "The Temporary Deputy Speaker",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 63,
        "legal_name": "Joyce Cherono Laboso",
        "slug": "joyce-laboso"
    },
    "content": " Hon. Members, I have a Communication to make. As you are aware, the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the National Government and the Judiciary were submitted to Parliament on 26th of April this year. Members may also wish to note that the Estimates for Parliament were tabled in the House on 25th April 2012 by the Vice Chair of the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC). Pursuant to the provisions of the Standing Orders, all the Estimates were committed to the relevant Departmental Committees of the House for review. I, therefore, expect that the Departmental Committees and the Budget Committee are currently reviewing the Annual Estimates and Financial Statement referred to them and will report back to this House as required. Hon. Members, last year, and specifically on the 7th of June, 2011, I delivered a ruling in this House in which I directed that the Estimates submitted by the National Government together with the Estimates submitted by the PSC and Judiciary would be referred to the Budget Committee and Departmental Committees in accordance with Standing Order No.152. I also directed that the Ministerial Statement and any document laid by the Minister for Finance would be referred to the Budget Committee and that all Department Committees would review the Estimates and submit a summary of key issues to the Budget Committee and detailed Reports on the Estimates to the House. I specifically directed that the Committees should review the Estimates and allow the public to access their respective review meetings in order to ensure an inclusive budget process in line with the constitutional requirements. I further directed that upon tabling of the reports by the Departmental Committees on the Estimates, the Committee of Supply would commence as per the provisions of Standing Orders No.153 up to No.155 and based on Supply Resolutions, the Minister for Finance would be required to introduce an Appropriations Bill in the House to give legal effect to those resolutions. I expect that the process this year will follow the practice set last year. Hon. Members, you may recall that last year through a time-constrained process you were able to identify several segments of the society through the public hearings and mitigate their concerns through subsequent review of the Estimates. Several cases in point are the Albino members of our society as well as our teachers. You also, in the same breath, listened to the concerns of the public in relation to wastage of resources and you came back and adjusted the resource allocation accordingly. It is my belief that this year a similar exercise will be conducted in order to turn the Estimates presented to this House into a national budget. This process will be designed to ensure that the public have a voice in the sharing of the national cake by articulating their needs in order that they may be reflected in the finances of this country. In this regard, I am informed by the Chair of the Budget Committee that it proposes that this year countrywide hearings be held from 11th to 14th May, 2012. The Chairperson of the Budget Committee will inform the House tomorrow the names of the centres for the hearings. In addition, during the public hearing, the public will be able to give their views on the proposed formula by Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) on allocation of devolved funds. Hon. Members, the theme of this year’s hearings, I am informed shall be “Creating Job Opportunities Through the Available Resources Within the Budget”. It is expected that the public will go to the centres and as was the case last year, propose areas where savings can be made and areas where resources can lead to increased job opportunities. I, therefore, invite the Members to sign up for areas where they will be available. I have directed the Clerk of the Assembly to facilitate the Members to attend these constitutional Budget hearings. Thank you!"
}