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{
    "id": 729813,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/729813/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 82,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Musyimi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 95,
        "legal_name": "Mutava Musyimi",
        "slug": "mutava-musyimi"
    },
    "content": "input from members of the public as well as additional submission and memorandum from other bodies. For this, we are truly grateful. Noting the importance of having a people responsive Budget, the Committee has taken these submissions into account in the finalisation of the final Budget. Public participation is budget requirement of the law but we believe it is very important and we need to make sure that, that participation is not in vain and this year we have made sure that it is, indeed, not the case. Having considered the above matters, my Committee proposes the following policy recommendations; One, in order to strengthen the link between programme-based budget framework and itemised budget, there is a review of the set indicators, key outputs and targets in order to make them realistic and achievable. This will facilitate monitoring and evaluation of the Government programmes. Importantly, we need to make the medium term expenditure framework a reality. Two, in order to ensure efficiency in utilization of resources, the National Treasury should minimize in year substantial revisions from approved allocations in terms of supplementary budgeting. There is, therefore, the need to ensure that the Ministries improve the utilization of approved allocations, especially of external funds already mobilized and committed. This will minimize the associated opportunity cost in form of delayed benefit to our people fiscal risks as well as contingent liabilities. Three, my Committee reemphasizes the need to put in place an accountability framework in order to enhance transparency and accountability. The National Treasury should therefore begin in July this year to publish online, Exchequer releases by programme and by vote in order to ensure predictability and effective monitoring of budget implementation. Four, the Government should implement and operationalise the Presidential Taskforce on Parastatal Reforms; the taskforce that was chaired by Mr. Isaac Awuondo and Hon. Abdikadir Mohamed. This should be done in order to rationalize State agencies and reduce duplication of functions. Five, the National Government should invest heavily in provision of certified seeds alongside fertilizer subsidy for efficiency and better results. The fertilizer subsidy initiatives which the Government started financing in 2008 has not translated to improved agricultural production due to the quality of seeds as well as their adaptability to various climatic conditions. Six, no new projects should be started except externally funded projects and all key flagship projects under Vision 2030. The MDAs should focus on fast-tracking completion of key ongoing projects and ensure that new projects are considered within the context of constrained Exchequer support. In this regard, under the State Department of University Education, it is recommended that no new projects should be started. Instead, the money should be redistributed within the vote to complete ongoing projects. There is concern over the level of pending bills in all MDAs. The Government should therefore come up with a process of auditing and identifying those that can be paid and start paying them using available resources. In addition, there is need to institute a process of commitment control whereby no commitment should be entered into in the absence of resources. My Committee recommends a review of the purchase of police vehicles as well as the contracts for the Managed Equipment Services (MES) project. Further, we need to undertake a performance audit on the implementation of the MES programme to ascertain value for money. Finally, there is concern that some key provisions in the Budget, such as provision for sanitary towels, are not available for our children. My Committee therefore recommends that The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}