A group picture of the W/A MPs attending the workshop
A five-day regional training workshop for members of the Public Accounts Committees (PACs) of all Parliaments in the West African sub-region under the umbrella ‘West Africa Association of Public Accounts Committees (WAAPAC)’ began on Monday at the Fiesta Royale Hotel in Accra.
The training workshop is aimed at ensuring improved budget oversight and accountability in the various West African countries for good governance.
It is being hosted by Ghana’s Parliament and sponsored jointly by the African Organisation of Public Accounts Committees (AFROPAC) and GIZ under the theme: “Budget Cycles in African Parliamentary Systems:- Defining an Active Role and Contribution of Legislators in Public Finance Management for West Africa”.
Opening the workshop which was attended by legislators of PACs from the sub-region, the Vice-Chairperson of AFROPAC who is also the Chairperson of Ugandan’s PAC, Angelline Osegge, reminded participants of African Union’s charter on democracy, elections and governance to continue to strengthen democratic institutions.
She said there is the need to recognize the important role of PACs in supporting overall Public Financial Management (PFM) improvement together with governments, civil society and development partners to achieve sustainable development goals across Africa.
She also indicated the importance of strengthening democratic accountability by forcefully positioning PACs on the side of democratic mechanisms of controlling governments.
“Given our diversity, it is true that we should not expect to discover any one-size-fits-all solutions to the challenges that lie ahead,” she said, adding that “despite the differences there is a common goal which is to ensure effective budget oversight and control at all levels of governance”.
In his welcoming address, the Vice-Chairman of the Ghana’s Public Accounts Committee and Member of Parliament for Lambussie, Edward Kaale-Ewola Dery, said Africa loses a staggering amount of $143 billion through corruption and that effective mechanisms to check corruption could help free up these resources for further development on the continent.
He noted that for PACs to be more effective, public inquiry committees must also be set up within PACs so that it could follow up on the recommendations made by PAC and adopted by the plenary to ensure that effective results are achieved.
He also spoke about the need for members of PAC to eschew partisanship at the committee level when matters of corruption are being dealt with, adding that “corruption does not know any political colour; there should be oneness in fighting corruption in the society”.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr