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{
    "id": 868870,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/868870/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 301,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Nambale, ANC",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Sakwa Bunyasi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2511,
        "legal_name": "John Sakwa Bunyasi",
        "slug": "john-sakwa-bunyasi"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I rise to make just a few broad remarks on this Bill but I will be looking forward to detailed review at the Committee of the whole House because this is an extremely important Bill. The PFM Act is, of course, the anchor to our financial governance system, both in county governments and in the national government. It is critically important to ensure that public resources are well utilised. Having said that though, when I listen in and read the comments that have been made and the way the amendments have been structured, I worry a little bit whether in fact we are not coming in as prefects to try to lean heavily particularly on the county governments rather being promoters of good governance and looking at how we can encourage creativity in a way that is within the law. We cannot make the 47 counties be images of each other. My own expectation is that devolution would enable each county to do what they can do best and grow consistent to their input and that we do not seek to equalise everybody. It does not mean that if you have a County Executive Committee Member by a particular name, everybody must have the same across the Republic. I think that level of control is unhealthy. As you listen to people talk, you would think that the only places where monies are lost and there are pending bills are the county governments. Far from the truth. We have pending bills even at the National Treasury. We have them everywhere. That is the point I am trying to make. If we come out as punitive prefects, it will not have the desired effects. It will stifle the functioning of these institutions. We should make rules, for example which financial institutions we are to use. They must be worded in a way that says “wherever possible, wherever feasible”. My colleague from Funyula, Hon. (Dr.) Oundo Mutenyo, has mentioned that, for example, for us in Busia the nearest Central Bank office is in Kisumu. You cannot go and do banking and come out with cash from that bank. I do not know which insurance companies would cover that and yet there are banks right in town, if they do not collapse because of taking out public sectors’ business. Public The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}