October 15, 2021
BY MOHAMED M. SESAY
During a training session for Members of Parliament and Committee Clerks on the changes of budget appropriation process, the review of the 2020 appropriation process and the role of Parliament in the National Budget Process, the Honorable Clerk of Parliament Paran Umaru Tarawally has on the 14th of October 2021, disclosed that Parliament has increased oversight committees from five per quarter to at least twenty committees for each quarter.
“May I report to this body that oversight activities have been improved over the years, they are effective and oversight committees are now proceeding on oversights in their normal, we have increased oversight from five per quarter to at least twenty committees each quarter”, he said.
In his keynote address, the Clerk of Parliament Paran Umaru Tarawally said Sierra Leone Parliament has the constitutional mandate to make laws, represent its people and provide oversight on the activities of government.
He added that one area that is very critical in carrying out such mandate is the review and approval of the National Budget and its related documents of which the Finance Act is an example.
Before 2020, he said there were only seven appropriation sub-committees and that those seven committees were charged with the responsibility to approve budget for Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Dr. Paran also disclosed that Members of Parliament were reconstituted into the aforementioned seven committees of which they are expected to work diligently.
Unfortunately, he said there were challenges by the committees of which some of the challenges prompted the leadership of Parliament to summon a session in Port kolo early last year.
He furthered that one outcome from that session was the general agreement that they must experiment a new system in order to move Parliament from a budget approving parliament to that of the budget making parliament.
He explained that the difference between budget approving and that of budget making is that, in budget approving parliament only step in the middle of the budget circle whereas, the budget making Parliament takes full charge in the budget making process from its insertion.
He acknowledged that one key activity that will enhance the applicability of the budget making parliament is to improve on oversight activities.
With support from partners, Dr. Paran Tarawally continued that the administration of Parliament has decided to review the outcome of the of the new method adding that, the existing method is infected with so many challenges.
He noted that the training session will give Members of Parliament and Committee Clerk an opportunity to reflect on their action in 2020 and make amendments where necessary.
He re-echoed that the training will also help in capacitating Members of Parliament and the Committee Clerks by mapping out the way forward for an effective oversight function.
On his part, The Director of the Parliamentary Budget Office Ibrahim Junisa recognized the Inter-Parliamentary Union for single handedly financing the training for Members of Parliament and committee clerks.
He said the conduct of the training was to fundamentally look at the reforms introduced in the National Budget appropriation process last year, particularly noting the successes and challenges.
He furthered that the training is an indication that the administrative and political leadership of Parliament are both interested in improving the capacity of honorable members of Parliament and the committee clerks.
He added that the training will also help Members of Parliament not just for appropriation of the budget process, but also in carrying out their oversight responsibility generally.
Additionally, he said the training will also improve budget credibility and openness. He added that the fundamental objective of the training is to enhance debate and support oversight activities and legislative bills among others.
A representative for the Chairman of the Finance Committee Hon. Mustapha Fayia Sallu acknowledged that Budget in democratic governance is the most instrumental aspect of government in carrying out its policies.
He added that the budget circle and its various stages such as budget approval and oversight are done by the house of Parliament. He therefore, confesses that such engagement will not just enhance learning opportunities for Members of Parliament, but also capacitate them to be very apt in scrutinizing the state budget.