STRENGTHENING AFRICAN PARLIAMENTS ROLE IN FINANCIAL GOVERNANCE:

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STRENGTHENING AFRICAN PARLIAMENTS ROLE IN
FINANCIAL GOVERNANCE
UNECAS RECENT RESEARCH FINDINGS WORK
Presenter Dr. Mzwanele G. MFUNWA UN Economic
Commission for Africa (UNECA) Donor Consultation
on Parliamentary Development and Financial
Accountability 21-22 May Brussels, Belgium
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INTRODUCTION

• 2 Pillars of UNECAs repositioning

• Promote regional integration in support of AU
  vision

• Meet Africas special needs emerging global
  challenges

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The bottom line
Parliaments involvement in economic
policy making in general, In financial
governance in particular is both desirable
unavoidable in a representative democracy
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the participation of elected representative of
the people in the budgeting process is necessary,
as it will ensure that national resources
are distributed fairly equitably
Hon. Daniel arap Moi Former President, Kenya
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The Constitution does not expect a lapdog
Parliament, so I appeal that you engage us
Hon. Trevor Manuel, MP Minister of Finance South
Africa
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THEN WHY PARLIAMENTS ARE NOT SO ENGAGED? LEGAL
Parliaments power of the purse is
constrained by weak amendment powers conferred
to it Kenya MP
But some countries are reviewing finance laws
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THEN WHY ARE PARLIAMENTS NOT SO
ENGAGED? POLITICAL WILL

• The Executives opaque budgetary processes

• Given no opportunity to deliberate

• deliberate but NEVER amend

• No resources

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Supplementary budgets arepresented to
Parliament around mid-year, though in theory,
they are meant to be proposals, are in fact
usually already incurred expenditures for which
Government is merely seeking parliamentary
approval as a formality Kenya MP
but if the Parliament persists in rejecting
Budget Bill, the President has to promulgate the
Bill anyway Rwanda MP
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THEN WHY ARE PARLIAMENTS NOT SO ENGAGED?Lack of
capacity

• African Parliaments lack freedom and
  independence to perform their constitutionally
  mandated functions efficiently and effectively
• UNECA, AGR 2005

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THEN WHY ARE PARLIAMENTS NOT SO ENGAGED?Lack of
capacity
a major challenge for the NA is to increase
the proportion of committees that could be rated
as effective by upgrading training
their members J.D. Barkan, 2005
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THEN WHY ARE PARLIAMENTS NOT SO ENGAGED? Lack of
resources

• Little material resources

• Very few professional staff

• No information

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UNECA RECOMMENDATIONS

• Focus on Parliaments as an institution

• Parliament must be more independent in policy
  making in internal administration

• Set up independent parliamentary service
  commission

• Use parliamentary committees as key channel with
  external stakeholders

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UNECA RECOMMENDATIONS Donor approach has
improved, but

• Role of donors immense increasingly positive

• 2005 Paris Declaration

• donors and partner countries accountabilityto
  their parliaments par. 3(iii)

• Help to strengthen capacity to exercise
  leadership par. 15

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UNECA Repositioned for better contribution

• Research

• Advocacy

• Technical assistance

• Facilitate exchange of information views

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