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Committee sets tone for Budget Meeting

 

The Budget and Finance Committee of Parliament says it will compile a report with some red flags to guide legislators to closely scrutinise suspected ‘dubious’ budget allocations to some government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

Chiphiko: No dubious allocations

Speaking in an interview in Lilongwe yesterday, committee chairperson Rhino Chiphiko said the red flags will be based on issues to be raised by President Peter Mutharika and Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Godwe during the Budget Meeting to be opened today in Lilongwe.

He said: “As we hold the government accountable on public resources, we will need to be very alert in scrutinising the budget allocations.

“We don’t want dubious allocations to go undetected and unchallenged, especially because this is an election budget.”

Chiphiko said that opposition parties in most countries tend to be on extra alert when scrutinising election budgets, in which governments are tempted to cast voter-wooing projects or ‘hide’ resources that may be used for ruling party campaign purposes.

Reacting on behalf of the government, Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development spokesperson Davis Sado said the budgeting process is long and transparent, including pre-budget consultations, statement presentation, cluster meetings, debating and final consideration by the parliamentarians.

He said: “I, therefore, feel the suspicion for dubious allocations is misplaced. The process not only scrutinises but also refines the budget.”

The President is scheduled to open the meeting with a State of the Nation Address (Sona) to be followed by a 10-day debate by members of Parliament (MPs) .

Thereafter, Gondwe is expected to present the estimated K1 trillion 2018/19 National Budget which legislators will scrutinise in clusters where they will interface with MDAs to get a deeper insight into the use of public resources.

The parliamentarians will later provide budget responses before they pass, or reject, the budget through the committee of supply. n

 

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