Budget team accuses State of withholding crucial papers

By PETER OPIYO

The Parliamentary Committee on Budget has warned of a crisis in the national budget process unless Parliament works extra hours to endorse various statutory requirements before it is dissolved.

Committee Chairman Elias Mbau accused the Government of failing to table various documents related to the budget making as required by the law.

Consequently, National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende urged the Treasury to present the documents in time for deliberations.

 “The matter is of significance, the term of this Parliament runs constitutionally until January 14, and there are matters this Parliament can attend to timeously and I urge the Government to ensure those constitutional duties are discharged well in time,” said Marende.

Mbau said the supplementary budget, which is traditionally presented in Parliament in March, has not been prepared and this may occasion crisis in Government operations.

Trade Minister Amos Kimunya said he was aware the Ministry of Finance was working on the documents and that they may be tabled in Parliament next Tuesday.

“We still don’t have other issues on devolution and supplementary budget before the House and I am aware Ministry of Finance is working on them and the papers may be ready by Tuesday. We’ll do our bit to ensure we do it by Tuesday,” Kimunya, who is the Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament, said.

Also of concern is the Budget Policy Statement, which must be tabled and processed by the Committee within 15 days as provided for in the law.

The BPS outlines the Government revenue and expenditure projection. This projection should be presented in Parliament by February 15 by the Treasury after which it is scrutinised by the Budget Committee.

The committee’s recommendations form the basis of Government’s national budget, which must be presented to Parliament by April 30, at least two months before the final national budget is out.

“There is no time for committees to make inputs in this process. When I look at the calendar, if MPs would be kind enough we can have more sittings, the days left cannot be enough,” said Mbau.

“If we don’t prosecute this agenda, we are staring at a crisis as far as funding crucial Government expenditure is concerned,” he added.

Marende concurred with the MP, saying the issues raised are constitutional requirements that must be addressed.

Turkana Central MP Ekwe Ethuro also said the Government is yet to table the County Allocation of Revenue Bill and the Division of Revenue Bill, which are key in defining how the 47 counties would share funds.

He also said the pre-election economic and fiscal update, which should be published not earlier than four months before the elections, is yet to be published as required by the Public Finance Management Act.