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{
    "id": 464277,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/464277/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 86,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Ababu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 108,
        "legal_name": "Ababu Tawfiq Pius Namwamba",
        "slug": "ababu-namwamba"
    },
    "content": "power to tell us when he will be audited and when that report will come to the House. The Public Accounts Committee will liaise with the Parliamentary Service Commission, because this matter is the responsibility of the House. It is part of our oversight responsibility. When it comes to overseeing the Office of the Auditor-General, we ought to take the responsibility of making sure that it is done. I wish, on behalf of the Public Accounts Committee, to give an assurance to the House that the Committee will make it a priority to liaise with the leadership of the House and ensure that the audit is conducted, and the report is brought to the House for consideration in the same manner. On the question of timing, I wish to bring to the attention of the House that the Public Accounts Committee has been very concerned with the time lapse in terms of the audited accounts being considered. Our concern is even greater considering that the law now requires that the apportioning of resources between the national Government and county governments also depends on expenditures audited by the Auditor-General. The Committee is very keen to ensure that we are up to date and we are in real time, in terms of the audited accounts. We are making every effort possible to make sure that we conclude the backlog of reports. One of the reasons why we have consulted the Office of the Auditor-General and support fully the arrangement that we are witnessing this afternoon, it is part of the process of expediting the process of audit and bringing reports to this House for consideration. Allow me to urge the House to note that this is a historic moment; we are breaking new ground. Many democracies that are progressive in nature in terms of oversight are going this route. The Public Accounts Committee has done this in the belief that under our Constitution today; oversight has been raised to another level, and it is our responsibility, as Members of this House. You do not have to sit in the Public Accounts Committee to take the responsibility of oversight seriously. It belongs to all of us. Finally, on the question raised by hon. Gumbo, if you can indulge me to say a word on that, we are in a new dispensation. We are learning the ropes in very many areas. In fact, the challenge of not having Government in the House is so interesting that it could even trigger our thinking as to whether it was prudent to remove Government from the House entirely, and whether we might not want to consider new arrangements that allow a certain level of direct interaction between the House and the Government. It is a matter, which I believe this House is competent enough to handle. That does not take away in any way the very competence of the Leader of Majority Party whom I think has held forte for Government very well; in fact, I will be recommending to His Excellency, when I meet him, that he ought to give him a national honour for the excellent role he has played, holding forte for the national Government in the House. Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker."
}