�We failed the nation�
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Thursday December 11, 2014 19:41
Responding to speech on the supplementary estimates expenditure from consolidated and development funds, Gaolatlhe said a week is not adequate to review and approve a P2.5 billion supplementary budget.
“I believe we have failed the nation as finance parliamentary committee. We failed to apply our self adequately.
P2 billion can make a country to collapse, we could have checked whether supplementary was done in a right way. Because of time, at some point we were based on opinion,” Gaolathe said.
Gaolathe said the system that they applied showed that some ministries did not deserve the money they had requested for, citing the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, which in his view deserve only 50% of what they had requested.
“Some ministries need only 20% of what they requested, whilst some do not need money at all. I am really dissatisfied with our work and I believe we could have done a lot. This is our responsibility as MPs because we are here for the public and on this one, we should put political affiliation aside and take responsibility,” said the vice-president of the opposition, Umbrella for Democratic Change. Adding to the debate, the MP for Selibe-Phikwe West, Dithapelo Keorapetse, said in the Westminster type of system like Botswana, Parliament holds the power of the purse, as it must sanction all expenditures, all borrowing from national, regional or international financial institutions, and all revenues to be collected by the government.
“It is Parliament which has to authorise even the supplementary budget. Parliament in a democracy has the power to amend or approve public money related Bills,” Keorapetse said.
“There are a number of things that raise eyebrows about the supplementary budget in Botswana in general, the one presented by the Minister in particular.
The Minister has requested Parliament to approve over P2 billion supplementary money. This amount is colossal,” Keorapetse added.
He said ordinarily supplementary budgets, are meant for emergency cases and or unforeseen pressing financial needs.
“The problem is that there is failure by the government to operate within the originally allocated budget and this points to deterioration in the country’s budget discipline. The time allocated to Parliament, including debates on the same and deliberations and scrutiny by the finance and estimates committee of Parliament, detracts from the role of Parliament as a body charged with the power of the purse,” he argued.
Keorapetse further noted that the finance and estimates committee was given few days to consider the proposal by the minister.
Therefore, the end result is that the supplementary budget passes through Parliament and not is passed by the House.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Finance and Development Planning Kenneth Mathambo said that there are financial implications during budget execution due to the shortfall in the budgetary provisions for some ministries and departments.
“Madam speaker, nine ministries submitted supplementary budget requests amounting to P1, 351,615,020 from the consolidated fund, out of which P1, 104,713,370 is being recommended for approval for only eight organizations expenditure,” said the minister.
He said out of the requests recommended for approval, P998, 293,210 or 90.0% is shared between three ministries of Education and Skills Development, Defence, Justice and Security and Local and Rural Development.