National Council needs N$100 million to execute mandate

WINDHOEK, 13 APR – The National Council needs N$100 million from Treasury to cover its operational costs for the 2018/19 financial year, Speaker of the National Assembly, Professor Peter Katjavivi said Thursday.
Delivering the National Council’s budget motivation in the National Assembly, Katjavivi said the council has a single core programme which is threefold.
Parliamentary committee services need N$56.7 million in the current financial year to execute its oversight role.
“The National Council committees see it fit to focus on their oversight activities towards the implementation of the blueprint on wealth redistribution and poverty eradication,” said Katjavivi.
The National Council further needs around N$ 32 million for the coordination of parliamentary support services.
Under this activity, the implementation of the Harambee Prosperity Plan targets of performance and service delivery will be monitored, Katjavivi said.
“The main objectives therefore would be to improve budget execution and financial accountability; improve the management and development of human resources and ensure the optimal utilisation and control of assets,” he said.
In addition, to further strengthen its capacity and execute its oversight role, the National Council needs N.dollars 11 million.
“I request this august house to approve the amount of N$ 100 381 000 for the National Assembly to carry out its activities,” the speaker said.
Katjavivi lamented that the monthly allocation of funds to the National Council from Treasury during the 2017/18 financial year hampered the implementation of it activities.
The Speaker indicated that traveling was part of the National Council’s mandate.
“Traveling should be seen as part of the mandate of the National Council because without traveling, they will not be able to attend the National Council sessions in Windhoek,” he said, adding that a comparison should not be made to government offices, agencies and ministries (OMAs) in relation to budget cuts pertaining to traveling.
“Traveling is part of National Council’s programme to execute its core function,” he reiterated.
Katjavivi’s remarks come at a time when President Hage Geingob has put an embargo on unnecessary traveling.
It also comes after he was lambasted by his follow parliamentarians for not standing up for the interests of Parliament, especially its budget allocation.
Furthermore, over the medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) period, the National Council will scrutinise the progress made through national development plans, Vision 2030 and the Harambee Prosperity Plan.
National Council committees will undertake 35 activities and will participate in regional and international conferences during the MTEF.
NAMPA