{UAH} The Observer - Slow Parliament blamed for corruption in action
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The Observer - Slow Parliament blamed for corruption in action
Monday, 18 August 2014 01:04
KCCA ED, Jennifer Musisi (R) appearing before a parliamentary committee
An investigation by The Observer indicates that in 14 years, the auditor general has submitted more than 40 audit reports to Parliament.
However, MPs have acted on only 10 reports during that time. Lawrence Ssemakula, the accountant general in the ministry of finance, wrote to Parliament in July expressing his concerns about the MPs' inaction.
"The delay to complete reports [on audits] in accountability committees and the absence of approval of the said reports by Parliament affects timely preparation of Treasury memoranda," he noted.
A treasury memorandum shows the action that government has taken on Parliament's recommendations arising from the auditor general's reports. In an August 14 interview, Ssemakula said government can only take appropriate action on the auditor general's findings after such findings have been thoroughly scrutinised and approved by Parliament.
"We act on those reports that have been approved by Parliament," he said.
The auditor general's office is established under Article 163 of the Constitution and its functions include undertaking financial audits. The office of the auditor general executes its mandate by preparing and submitting annual reports to Parliament. The AG's reports to Parliament are referred to the accountability committees, which include the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Local Government Accounts Committee and the committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises.
The said committees, which draw membership from across the political divide, are chaired by the majority opposition party in the House, which in this case is the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC). It is through these committees that the opposition and Parliament provide checks against the executive.
Interviewed about Parliament's inaction, Nathan Nandala-Mafabi (Budadiri West MP), the former leader of opposition in Parliament and ex-chairperson of PAC, said the treasury memoranda status shine a bright light on the opposition's flaws.
"If the committee does not report back to the House, the House cannot recommend anything to the executive and as such the executive cannot do anything to fight corruption," he said.
A parliamentary committee in session
Of the 10 reports scrutinised by Parliament, the executive took action on eight. In the last 14 years, the treasury memoranda status indicates that no single parliamentary report has been completed on the auditor general's reports before the committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises, Cosase.
Cosase scrutinises audit reports on authorities such as Uganda Revenue Authority, Uganda Investment Authority, and Bank of Uganda among others.
Committee problem
In response, Kyadondo East MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the chairperson of Cosase, said there are two problems to the AG's concerns.
"The first is that the audit or general's reports are too shallow. The AG's office is acting like whistle-blowers, which means that when the reports are submitted to Parliament, a fresh investigation has to take place," he said, making reference to a committee investigation into URA that lasted close to a year.
"If the findings of the AG where concrete, the committee, then under the leadership of Hon Reagan Okumu, would not have dragged on investigating one entity," he said.
Ssemujju also cited the reporting mechanism by some committees. "Cosase has made reports but on single entities and this makes it possible for such reports not to be captured in the treasury memoranda. In my new leadership, I want to change the reporting mechanism to focus on annual reports," he said.
Jinja Municipality East MP Paul Mwiru, the vice chairman of PAC, faulted Parliament's Business Committee, which determines the order of business in the House. "We have very many reports that are complete but they cannot be tabled because the Business Committee has not granted us the go-ahead. The committee is guided by the House Rules committee, which provides that government business takes priority," he said.
Politics
Other voices in Parliament claim the problem lies in the way committee leaders are selected.
"Politics has killed accountability committees. Parties are not focusing on competence while choosing leaders for these committees; they focus on loyalty," a clerk to one accountability committee said. "So, some chairpersons are weak on delivery but continue to lead because they are loyal."
skakaire@observer.ug
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