Budget scrutiny is vital—Malawi Deputy Speaker
Malawi’s First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jones Chingola has reiterated the need for members of Parliament (MPs) to provide checks and balances to the budget proposal.
Chingola said this in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, at the Parliament Building where the visiting Scottish parliamentarians organised a budget scrutiny training for Malawi legislators.
“Budget scrutiny is one of the important tasks that Parliament performs in the legislative assembly; hence, the need to spend quality time to debate and approve it in the end.
“While it is envisaged that the training will equip members of Parliament with necessary skills to enable them effectively perform the noble duty of scrutinising vote by vote allocations to government departments and ministries, it also supports parliamentary democracy,” explained Chingola.
He said the two-day workshop is part of an agreement between the two national assemblies to share experiences and expertise under the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
Member of the Scottish Parliament and former Speaker, Alex Fergusson, said in an interview the training is timely considering the current economic situation in the country.
“There is need for MPs to understand which certain sectors need more or little resources in tough economic times Malawi is in. With or without such crises, it is important to scrutinise budgets before they are approved. We, therefore, believe the Budget and Finance Committee will benefit from the workshop and work for the benefit of the public,” he said.
