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{
    "id": 980461,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/980461/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 72,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Suba South, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. John Mbadi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 110,
        "legal_name": "John Mbadi Ng'ong'o",
        "slug": "john-mbadi"
    },
    "content": " Hon. Speaker, I want to thank the Chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee for the statement. I am happy the chair has again re- emphasised and made it very clear that this is a very important exercise. Hon. Speaker, my concerns are two: One, previously, we have had cases where the chairs of committees have complained that the BAC sometimes fails to take into consideration the proposals from the various departmental committees. My concern is that when we have important meetings, where the BAC would engage with departmental committees well in advance, before we start the actual process of dealing with the Estimates, such as the pre-budget conference and other important budget engagements, you find that the chairs of various committees do not give such meetings the due consideration. There are some chairs who are very good, who would come and attend most of the meetings. Some chairs do not even send their vice-chairs, but only their vice-chairs. That is not to mean that the vice-chairs are not efficient as such. We need to give this engagement prominence and importance. We should attach to it seriousness. We need engagements between the BAC and the departmental committees so that we can understand the policy framework, the executive, and what the Legislature wants to do. One thing that I want the Chairs to understand is that the country has one budget. For you to even be effective in aligning your budgets to the policy framework of the country; there is need for all of us to engage. You do not just go and sit in a corner and start reducing, removing and reallocating resources here and there. It is important that this fits into the policy framework of the Government. Hon. Speaker, although you went ahead of me, I plead and ask the Chairs that this pre- budget meeting should be full house, if possible. We had a meeting in Mombasa and the Chair will confirm to you. It was a very important meeting where we discussed a lot of issues regarding budget implementation. Not even a third of the Chairs were present in that meeting. We wanted to agree with the Chairs that even before we start the next phase of the budget process, we should be sure about how the Government or the Executive is implementing the previous budget. It is not just important to allocate resources. It is equally important to ensure that the resources that are allocated are spent and the projects are implemented. I plead with the Chairs, please give these meetings the due consideration, prominence and importance that they deserve. 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."
}