Standing committees ‘critical’

ADOLF KAURE

National Council chairperson Margaret Mensah-Williams says its standing committees have over the years contributed immensely to changing government policy in areas such as human-wildlife conflict and the protection of women and children from rape and other forms of gender based violence.

“It was through the public consultation work of standing committees that the National Council, for example, rejected the Regional Councils Amendment Bill, the Local Authorities Amendment Bill, the Citizenship Bill, the Public-Private Partnership Bill and two constitutional amendment bills,” said Mensah-Williams.

She was speaking at the official opening of a monitoring and evaluation workshop for the National Council audit standing committee on Tuesday at the Seaside Hotel and Spa in Swakopmund.

Mensah-Williams encouraged National Council standing committee chairpersons to continue driving the implementation of various activities.

The National Council currently has seven standing committees on auditing; public accounts and the economy; security, constitutional and legal affairs; urban and rural development; gender, youth and information communication technology; habitat and on the women caucus.

Acting audit committee chairperson Libbeus Tobias said monitoring and evaluation is a valuable tool to support the work of the various National Council committees.

“It helps the audit committee and the National Council as an institution to understand what works, what does not work and why. It is of vital importance that progress and results are documented, lessons shared amongst us and future work methods and interventions be agreed upon that will be derived from the recommendations of the monitoring and evaluation of the work of our committees,” Tobias said.

The aim of the workshop was to evaluate progress in terms of the various committees executing their activities the first two quarters of the 2018/19 financial year.

As per the activity plan of the audit committee, this exercise is to be carried out twice during the current financial year.

“In order for the audit committee to have an appreciation of the performance of the various committees’ work, there is a need to review the achievements as well as the challenges experienced.

“As representatives of the people, we as members of the parliament and by extension the committees established to carry out functions the house cannot perform, should also account for what they do with the money allocated to them.

“This will enhance transparency, the same as we want others to be transparent and account for funds appropriated... It is taxpayers’ money and thus carries accountability with it, and furthermore must be prudently used,” Tobias said.