SADC Parliamentary Forum
Our Keynote Speaker, Hon. Maureen Hinda- Mbuende,Deputy Minister of Finance ,in the Republic of Namibia, a distinguished Finance practitioner in both private and public spheres
- Distinguished Gatekeepers and engines of our Ministries responsible for Finance, Economic Development, Good Governance and Institutional reforms, Planning Commissions, and Accountants General of SADC Member States and all Officials in their hierarchy;
- Mr Daniel Greenberg, Legal Drafter for the SADC Model Law on Public Financial Management;
- Meeting Facilitator, Mr Jason Rosario Braganza an Economist with over ten years’ experience working on international development in Africa specialising on trade and regional integration; finance for development and tax among others;
- Representative of Media Organisations;
- Distinguished Participants;
- Ladies and Gentlemen;
Dear Colleagues and distinguished participants,
- Introduction
Allow me to heartily welcome you as representatives of Line Ministries and Accountant General Departments to this consultative event held in the margins of the adoption of the SADC Model Law on Public Financial Management (PFM).
As you may be aware, the Forum is accustomed to engaging in multi-stakeholder consultative sessions prior to the adoption of its Model Laws in view of ensuring that the Model Law is as inclusive as possible taking into account the objective of the Forum to promote participatory democracy through the preparation of its legislative instruments.
In this respect, a series of consultations will be held with stakeholders and it has been deemed appropriate to engage representatives of Line Ministries and Offices of the Accountant General at an early stage in the consultation process in view of harvesting your crucial views on PFM from an administrative and governance perspective.
As you are aware, PFM involves diverse aspects all of which cannot be encapsulated in a single legislation. From procurement of contracts to financial instructions for Government to draw invoices, there is a range of PFM issues which prevail that needs to be mastered by representatives of Line Ministries and Accountants Generals.
You will find that the Model Law addresses PFM from the parliamentary angle, in other words from the effective oversight which may be exerted by Parliament over PFM processes which are conducted by the State through Line Ministries, the Accountant General or other statutory bodies. It is thus within this contextual framework that stakeholders present today should consider the provisions of the Model Law.
When examining the Model Law, you will thus be guided to comment on the interactions between Line Ministries and Accountants General on the one hand, and Parliament on the other hand.
- Why engage Line Ministries and Accountants General?
I shall now say a few words on the reasons for engaging representatives of Line Ministries and Accountants General today.
It is commonplace that Line Ministries and Accountants General are the implementers of the PFM system. Line Ministries prepare the budget, manage public debt, engage in State expenditures, and monitor the whole system for discrepancies. While Line Ministries also engage in policy on PFM, the Offices of the Accountants General disburse funds and pay to the interested parties pursuant to receiving instructions to that effect. The main fund used by Government, which is often called the Consolidated Fund in many SADC Member States, is managed by Line Ministries with disbursements made by the Accountant General. You will kindly find that the notion of Consolidated Fund, and its management, equally prevails in the SADC Model Law under Part 4.
Line Ministries and the Accountant General both comply with the appropriation ceilings approved by Parliament through Budget legislation and they adhere to the existing PFM framework. These aspects are covered under Part 5 of the Model Law.
In this respect, there can be no better than Line Ministries and representatives of Accountant General Offices to give their constructive views on the existing PFM framework and comment on the SADC Model Law in view of enhancing same for the guiding reference of Member States. Whilst you will note that the Finance Ministry is involved with nearly all Parts of the SADC Model Law, especially Parts 3 to 8, there is also the necessary reporting to Parliament which is conducted through Parliamentary Questions and the tabling of financial reports.
It is apt to add that from a policy perspective, all regulations pertaining to PFM are developed by the Finance Ministry, although the regulations may be mainly for logistical purposes where independent institutions such as the Office of the Auditor General or the Central Bank are concerned.
In addition, I wish to emphasize that Line Ministries will be the principal protagonists involved in the eventual domestication of the SADC Model Law on PFM after its adoption. Hence, it is imperative for representatives present today to understand the main provisions of the Model Law in view of working out how they compare with national legislation, and earmark the areas for improvement which could be made at national level at the appropriate legislative opportunity.
Furthermore, representatives of Line Ministries and Accountant General Offices also interact with Ministers and Parliamentarians, and are best placed to advise them on the reforms which need to take place to improve the PFM framework of Member States. You are permanent advisers and counsellors on PFM processes and since most of you are public officials, you remain unaffected by election cycles and thus stay on to advise successive governments. It
is thus quintessential that you are capacitated on the PFM Model Law well before the legal instrument is adopted and communicated to Member States through their domestic parliaments.
- Expectations from the audience
Charting the way forward, I would like to mention that today, a presentation will be made by the legal drafter on the PFM Model Law which will cover aspects that relate to Line Ministries and Accountants General. You are invited to engage comprehensively with the presenter and pinpoint any areas for improvement. In addition, you may also wish to submit your comments in writing after the end of the session. Same will considered by the legal drafter in view of alignment with international best practices and eventual incorporation in the Model Law.
You are also invited to comment on the adequacy of the Model Law and to express your views on the significance of this legislative instrument developed under the auspices of the SADC-PF.
- Way forward in terms of domestication
As mentioned earlier, the Model Law will be progressively domesticated at national level, with Line Ministries and Accountants General playing a crucial role to unpack the Model Law for the understanding of MPs and other stakeholders, as well as facilitate its acceptance at institutional level.
Progressive domestication will also be buttressed by the Forum’s dedicated organ in the form of the Regional Parliamentary Model Laws Oversight Committee (RPMLOC) which consists of MPs who are Chairpersons of all Standing Committees of the Forum. After the adoption of the Model Law, parliamentary Scorecards will be issued to Line Ministries to fill in view of setting a baseline and monitoring domestication progress. Representatives of Line Ministries and Accountant General Offices will thus be called upon to contribute to the Scorecards at the appropriate time.
- Conclusion
Dear Colleagues and distinguished participants,
I wish to end these introductory remarks by thanking you again for your participation. Ministries and departments such as the Offices of the Accountant Generals are significant scaffolds which tightly fasten together the structure of a healthy parliamentary democracy. If one part of the scaffold falters, the whole structure is put at risk and may threaten to collapse. Your roles are thus pivotal to PFM and your contributions today will likewise constitute important intel that will serve to steer the PFM Model Law to its right destination.
On this thankful note, I wish you all a pleasant session.
Thank you.
Ms. Boemo Sekgoma, Secretary General,
SADC Parliamentary Forum 15th February 2022
**
WINDHOEK-NAMÍBIA, Segunda-feira, 7 de Fevereiro de 2022 – O Fórum Parlamentar da Comunidade de Desenvolvimento da África Austral (FP da SADC/SADC PF) inicia amanhã, terça-feira, 8 de Fevereiro de 2022, a sua série de reuniões consultivas acerca do Projecto de Lei Modelo da SADC sobre a Gestão de Finanças Públicas.
O FP da SADC (SADC PF), pela via das suas Comissões Permanentes, identificou várias lacunas de ordem jurídica e regulatória no foro da Gestão de Finanças Públicas (GFP/PMF), que acabam por fragilizar o sistema de Gestão de Finanças Públicas, servindo de obstáculo à capacidade do Estado de cumprir com as suas metas nacionais, assim como com compromissos assumidos a nível internacional, tais como: os Objectivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS/SDGs) e o Regime Universal de Cuidados de Saúde (UHC).
A Presidente do Conselho de Administração da Região Anglófona da Organização Africana de Instituições Supremas de Auditoria (AFROSAI-E), a Senhora Meisie Nkau, procederá com o discurso inaugural da primeira reunião consultiva realizada por via virtual, a ter lugar com Auditores-Gerais de Estados Membros da SADC. Por sua vez, o Senhor Daniel Greenberg, Redactor Jurídico da mencionada Lei Modelo, fará a apresentação do respectivo Projecto de Lei Modelo.
Agendam-se deste modo cerca de quinze (15) reuniões consultivas com partes interessadas envolvidas na cadeia de valores da GFP/PFM, ficando representados Ministérios de Estados Membros da SADC como o das Finanças, e também Autoridades Fiscais, a Procuradoria-Geral da República, a Polícia e Organizações da Sociedade Civil (OSC/CSOs).
Pormenores da supracitada Sessão:
Data: Terça-feira, dia 8 de Fevereiro de 2022 Horário: 10h00 – 14h30; Hora de Harare/Pretória.
ACESSO MEDIÁTICO:
As reuniões do FP da SADC (SADC-PF) ficam abertas a Meios da Comunicação Social e a jornalstas interessados na cobertura mediática das mesmas reuniões, para as quais se devem registar através do elo (link) seguinte:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcuduuvqD4rE9POoIaurPNUdcrACIqOdH5H
As referidas reuniões serão transmitidas ao vivo através de plataformas de redes sociais – vide elos (links) infra – e também transmitidas ao vivo (ou gravadas para transmissão em diferido) através do Canal 408 da DSTV:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadcpf
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sadcpf
YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCa0QZWjuXVxer_vm637pBmQ
EMITIDO PELO FÓRUM PARLAMENTAR DA COMUNIDADE DE DESENVOLVIMENTO DA ÁFRICA AUSTRAL (FP da SADC/SADC PF)
Informações: Modise Kabeli +27 81 715 9969 or
WINDHOEK-NAMIBIA, Monday 07 February 2022 – The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) will tomorrow, Tuesday 08 February 2022, kick off its series of consultative meetings on the draft SADC Model Law on Public Financial Management.
The SADC PF, through its Standing Committees, has identified various legal and regulatory gaps in PFM that weaken the public financial management system and impedes the State’s ability to address its national objectives as well as fulfil international commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
African Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (AFROSAI-E) English Region CEO, Ms Meisie Nkau, will deliver the keynote address at the first virtual consultative meeting to be held with the Auditors General of SADC Member States.Mr Daniel Greenberg, the Legal Drafter of the Model Law, will present the draft.
About 15 consultative meetings are scheduled with representatives of stakeholders involved in the PFM value chain including SADC ministries responsible for finance, Revenue Authorities, Attorneys Generals, the police, and civil society organisations.
Details of the session are as follows:
Date: Tuesday, 08 February 2022
Time: 10:00 to 14:30 Harare/Pretoria Time.
MEDIA ACCESS: Meetings of the SADC-PF are open to the media and journalists who are interested in covering them must register on the following link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcuduuvqD4rE9POoIaurPNUdcrACIqOdH5H
The meetings will be streamed live on the SADC-PF social media platforms on the links below and broadcast live (or recorded for later broadcast) on DSTV Channel 408:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadcpf
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sadcpf
YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCa0QZWjuXVxer_vm637pBmQ
ISSUED BY THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PARLIAMENTARY FORUM
Enquiries: Modise Kabeli +27 81 715 9969 or sadc">
COMUNICADO DE IMPRENSA FP-SADC FORMULA LEI MODELO VISANDO O REFORÇO DA GESTÃO DAS FINANÇAS PÚBLICAS
02 Fev. 2022WINDHOEK-NAMÍBIA, Quarta-feira 2 de Fevereiro de 2022 – O Fórum Parlamentar da Comunidade de Desenvolvimento da África Austral (FP-SADC) brevemente arranca com reuniões consultivas visando a conclusão de um projecto de Lei Modelo sobre a Gestão das Finanças Públicas (GFP), para intensificar a fiscalização parlamentar e aumentar a transparência, a abertura, bem como a eficiência no uso de fundos públicos na região.
COMUNICADO DE IMPRENSA FP-SADC FORMULA LEI MODELO VISANDO O REFORÇO DA GESTÃO DAS FINANÇAS PÚBLICAS
MEDIA RELEASE: SADC PF TO FORMULATE MODEL LAW TO STRENGTHEN PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN SADC
02 Fev. 2022WINDHOEK-NAMIBIA, Wednesday 02 February 2022 – The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) will soon kick off consultative meetings aimed at putting together a draft SADC Model Law on Public Financial Management (PFM) to heighten parliamentary oversight and boost transparency, openness as well as efficiency in the use of public funds in the region.
The SADC PF, through its Standing Committees, has identified various legal and regulatory gaps in PFM that weaken the public financial management system and impedes the State’s ability to address its national objectives as well as fulfil international commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
It is with immense pleasure that I release this Statement to celebrate Human Rights Day 2021.
Human Rights Day holds particular importance for the Forum and its Member Parliaments not only because the Forum is a steadfast advocate of human rights in Southern Africa, but because human rights lie at the very foundation and constitute a pillar of a healthy democratic framework. It is trite that without a vibrant culture of human rights, parliamentary sovereignty and the Rule of law would be at stake.
This is also to reiterate that the Forum is committed to promoting civil and political human rights (first-generation rights), as well as economic, social and cultural rights (second-generation rights), both of which are embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the African Charter for Human and Peoples’ Rights. Within its Vision to stand as the Flag-Bearer of Democratisation and Socio-Economic Development in Southern Africa, the SADC-PF harnesses core values and guiding principles that speak to the respect for all human rights in their generality. In addition, the Forum also acknowledges the interconnectedness of human rights, and the need not to leave any human right behind when achieving progressive development.
Today, Human Rights Day is also coinciding with the opening ceremony of the 50th Plenary Assembly of the SADC-PF which is a landmark event for the organisation and the Membership. The 50th Plenary Assembly will also be the illustrious platform for the deliberations on the adoption of the SADC Model Law on Gender-Based Violence, the latter being another landmark instrument to promote human rights for all, without discrimination.
In the decade to follow, the Forum pledges to continue leveraging parliamentary democracy and inter-parliamentary cooperation to implement human rights across the SADC region and beyond.
Happy Human Rights Day 2021!
ISSUED BY THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PARLIAMENTARY FORUM SECRETARY GENERAL, MS BOEMO SEKGOMA
Estimados Colegas/Parceiros,
É com imenso prazer que divulgo esta Declaração para celebrar o Dia dos Direitos Humanos de 2021.
O Dia dos Direitos Humanos tem particular importância para o Fórum e para os seus Parlamentos Membros, não só porque o Fórum é um acérrimo defensor dos direitos humanos na África Austral, mas também porque os direitos humanos são a pedra angular e constituem um pilar de um quadro democrático saudável. Embora seja prosaico referi-lo, sem uma cultura vibrante de direitos humanos, a soberania parlamentar e o Estado de direito ficariam comprometidos.
Não é demais reiterar que o Fórum está empenhado em promover os direitos humanos civis e políticos (direitos da primeira geração), bem como os direitos económicos, sociais e culturais (direitos da segunda geração), ambos consagrados na Declaração Universal dos Direitos do Homem, e na Carta Africana dos Direitos do Homem e dos Povos. No âmbito da sua Visão de ser o Porta-Estandarte da Democratização e do Desenvolvimento Sócio-Económico na África Austral, o Fórum Parlamentar da SADC mobiliza valores fundamentais e princípios orientadores que falam do respeito por todos os direitos humanos na sua generalidade. Além disso, o Fórum também reconhece a interligação dos direitos humanos, e a necessidade de não deixar qualquer direito humano para trás na consecução de um desenvolvimento progressivo.
Hoje, o Dia dos Direitos Humanos coincide também com a cerimónia de abertura da 50ª Assembleia Plenária do Fórum Parlamentar da SADC, um evento histórico para a organização e para os Membros. A 50ª Assembleia Plenária será também a ilustre plataforma para as deliberações sobre a adopção da Lei Modelo da SADC sobre a Violência Baseada no Género, sendo esta última mais um instrumento de referência para a promoção dos direitos humanos para todos, sem discriminação.
Na próxima década, o Fórum compromete-se a continuar a potenciar a democracia parlamentar e a cooperação interparlamentar com vista a implementar os direitos humanos em toda a região da SADC e para além dela.
Feliz Dia dos Direitos Humanos de 2021!
Os melhores cumprimentos,
Sra. B. Sekgoma,
Secretária-Geral,
Fórum Parlamentar da SADC
10 de Dezembro de 2021
Media Statement SADC Parliamentary Forum Statement on Travel Bans
WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA: Sunday, 28 November 2021 The Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum is cognisant that the Covid-19 pandemic is causing worldwide fears and tensions, especially with the upsurge of new virus variants.
While public health remains a priority, the Forum considers that there is a need to rely at all times on verified scientific and empirical data, such as those shared by the World Health Organisation (WHO), before imposing travel bans that may seem unjust or harsh for some countries. The need for international cooperation to share information buttresses the recent action of the SADC Group at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) held from the 26th-30th November 2021 in Madrid, Spain, which called for greater equality in the procurement and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.
This echoes the reflection made that nobody is safe until everybody is safe from Covid-19. Indeed, if vaccine equality was in place, the virus may have been long overwhelmed instead of mutating into more threatening variants in some countries.
The IPU General Debate unanimously debated this issue as an emergency Item, where all Parliaments of the world gathered. There is no doubt that policymakers, officials, as well as Parliamentarians from the SADC region are engaging counterparts to react to the travel ban and to find solutions for safe travel.
It is imperative that remedial measures be found, especially bearing in mind the human rights of travellers who are stalled in foreign destinations pending the re-opening of the flight routes back home. Perhaps the most important question currently is which vaccine would respond best to the new variants, and if this information is known, vaccine deployment strategies must be engaged to respond accordingly.
Travel bans are never favourable to the economy, whether it is the economy of the imposing country or one of the affected country. Travel bans are also devastating to airline companies who are struggling to stay afloat and to rebuild after almost 2 years of travel slowdown.
It is thus important for bans to be imposed only based on verified and reliable information that has been preferably endorsed by the WHO.
For scheduling media interviews with the SADC Parliamentary Forum Secretary General, Ms Boemo M SEKGOMA please contact: Modise Kabeli on Mobile: +27817159969 or Email: " data-ep-a476c="small>sadc"> or za">pa" data-ep-bb817="gov<small> [DOT">
Comunicado De Imprensa Declaração Do Fórum Parlamentar Da SADC Sobre As Proibições De Viagens
29 Nov. 2021Comunicado De Imprensa Declaração Do Fórum Parlamentar Da SADC Sobre As Proibições De Viagens
WINDHOEK, NAMÍBIA: Domingo, 28 de Novembro de 2021 O Fórum Parlamentar da Comunidade de Desenvolvimento da África Austral tem consciência de que a pandemia de Covid-19 está a causar receios e tensões, sobretudo com a recrudescência de novas variantes do vírus.
Embora a saúde pública continue a ser uma prioridade, o Fórum considera que é preciso confiar sempre em dados científicos e empíricos comprovados, tais como os que são emitidos pela Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS), antes de se impor proibições de viajar que possam parecer injustas ou severas para alguns países. A necessidade da cooperação internacional na partilha de informação reforça a recente medida tomada pelo Grupo dos Países da SADC na Assembleia da União Interparlamentar (UIP) realizada de 26 a 30 de Novembro de 2021 em Madrid, Espanha, que apelou para maior igualdade na aquisição e distribuição de vacinas de Covid-19.
O referido apelo reitera a reflexão feita de que ninguém é seguro até que todos sejam protegidos contra a Covid-19. De facto, se houvesse igualdade perante as vacinas, o vírus poderia há muito ter sido submergido em vez de continuar a fazer mutações para variantes perigosas em alguns países.
O debate da Assembleia Geral da UIP, que reuniu todos os Parlamentos do mundo, considerou por unanimidade esta questão como um ponto de emergência. É indiscutível que os formuladores de políticas, funcionários, bem como os parlamentares da região da SADC estão a interagir com os seus homólogos para reagir à proibição de viajar e procurar soluções para viagens seguras.
É imperioso que sejam encontradas medidas de reparação, sobretudo tendo em consideração os direitos humanos dos viajantes que estão encalhados em paragens no estrangeiro até que voltem a ser abertas rotas de vôos de retorno para os seus países. Talvez a pergunta mais importante neste momento seja a de saber qual é a vacina que oferece a melhor resposta às novas variantes, e se existe um conhecimento desta informação, devem ser desdobradas estratégias vacinais visando dar a devida resposta.
As proibições de viagem nunca favorecem a economia, quer seja a economia do país que as impõe, quer a do país afectado. As proibições de viajar têm também um efeito devastador para as companhias aéreas que estão em apuros para se manterem à tona e se reconstruírem depois de quase 2 anos de abrandamento de deslocações.
Importa, portanto que as proibições sejam apenas impostas com base em informações verificadas e fiáveis que tenham de preferência sido homologadas pela OMS.
Para o agendamento de entrevistas pelos órgãos da comunicação social com a Secretária-geral do Fórum Parlamentar da SADC, Sra. Boemo M. SEKGOMA, favor entrar em contacto com: Modise Kabeli, pelo terminal telefónico: +27817159969 ou pelo e-mail:org" data-ep-a476c="media<smal"> " data-ep-a476c="small>sadc"> or