Sadcopac resolves to improve lives of African citizens |12 September 2015
The combined 12th Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Southern Africa Development Community Organization of Public Accounts Committees (Sadcopac) which had been going on during the week at the Savoy Resort and Spa at Beau Vallon, came to an end yesterday afternoon.
At the end of the discussions which were guided by the theme ‘Creating effective public accounts committees: Power, practices, capacity and emerging trends’, representatives from parliamentary public accounts committees from SADC countries have resolved to not only improve the lives of citizens from SADC countries, but from all of Africa.
Speaking at the close of the meeting, Sadcopac chairperson, Nthabiseng Khunou of South Africa, said there is growing passion among parliament members to make difference in their peoples’ lives and that they are now more than ever ready to work together to make this happen.
“I hope that when we get home we can ensure that such things happen. The more important thing is to deliver for our constituencies. We are all Africans and we have to work together to show Africa’s capacity to the world,” she said.
As one of the conditions to attain this objective, SADC parliamentarians have agreed that they must work to end corrupt and fraudulent practices.
“We cannot attain this if there is corruption. There must also be transparency as we want all parliaments to be accountable. Everybody must account for the last cent they have spent,” Mrs Khunu added.
She however accepted that parliaments cannot do it alone and that all branches of government should take their responsibility, especially the executive which she said has to listen to the people’s elected representatives.
In order to play a more pivotal role in improving the conditions of African citizens, the Sadcopac chairperson has also called for proper planning, timely and accurate information flow and the resolution of countries’ and parliaments’ internal difficulties.
To help those countries and parliaments, she promised that the organisation will develop capacity building opportunities with its members.
Among other decisions, the meeting also agreed on the elaboration of a strategic and business plan for Sadcopac for the period 2016 to 2018, adopted an operational budget, fund-raising activities and budgetary mechanisms, as well as a policy for its office bearers. In order to render the organisation more economically viable, the delegates also moved to amend the organisation’s financial policy.
It was also resolved that all members advocate for parliamentary financial autonomy and ensure that parliament funding is well spent, in order to empower them and make them more efficient.
The overall benefit will be that parliament has a better oversight role and can better monitor government spending.
The civil society and media have also been asked to play a better role in this oversight.
Countries are also being urged to vote laws that empower citizens to engage in high value ventures especially in the tourism sector, carry out an environment audit, put into place mechanisms ensuring a move towards performance based budgeting and performance audit.
David Pierre, Sadcopac treasurer and leader of the opposition in the Seychelles’ National Assembly who has described the AGM as the organisation’s “best conference with real member participation”, has declared those last resolutions as “very important for Seychelles”.
“This is because we are a country which relies strongly on our tourism industry and the safeguard of our environment. It was important that Seychelles gets the views of other countries on tourism and environment protection. Also, it is only now in Seychelles that we are starting performance based budgeting and performance audit is rarely done,” added Mr Pierre, who is also the chairperson of the National Assembly’s Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC).
Other than Mr Pierre, the National Assembly of Seychelles was represented by other members of its Public Accounts Committee. They are Charles Decommarmond, who is also vice-chairman, Marc Volcère, Jennifer Jasmin, Nichole Barbé, Lenny Lebon and Sebastien Pillay.
Mr Pillay has also described the Seychelles’ gathering as Sadcopac’s “best AGM to date”, assessment rightly echoed by chairperson Khunou. The Parti Lepep proportionally elected member believes that the decisions and recommendations which have resulted from the meeting will be useful in pushing the organisation forward.
The next Sadcopac AGM will be held next year in Botswana. Mozambique will host the 2017 meeting, while South Africa is due to organise the one in 2018.