The Public Accounts Committee PAC) will resume business May 22 with the team tasked with taking head-on matters surrounding financial expenditure of ministerial departments.
For the past years PAC has been mandated to deal with both ministerial departments and parastatals, only for the Committee to be relieved of the responsibility with the latter following the introduction of Parliament Finance and Estimates Committee responsible specifically for the fiscal prudence of the parastatals.
“We had initially targeted May 15 for the session to resume but because of documents from the audit committee that arrived late we rescheduled for a week period,” indicated the Chairman of PAC Abram Kesupile.
“As you know the Committee was split into two … another one chaired by Guma (Moyo) and we will this time around be dealing with Ministerial departments,” Kesupile added referring to the different tasks currently mandated both PAC and the Parliament Finance and Estimates Committee.
Both the Committees alternate – meaning the next session will be afforded the Parliament Finance and Estimates Committee vice versa the following meeting.
A member of the Commonwealth, Botswana adopted the institution of PAC upon attaining independence in September 1966 but was held in camera away from prying ears of the public and media watch.
PAC oversees the financial activities of the Executive including poor management, administration, and supervision let alone accounting systems of Ministries.
A slew of Government Ministries financial activities have been found wanting in a string of sittings.
But none of the identified culprits have been hauled over hot coals as an example for future perpetrators, prompting suggestions PAC is a toothless dog.
And as the PAC chairperson puts it, the session will appear to be business as usual.
“Ministries will be called upon to testify about their challenges, successes and shortcomings whereupon their testimony will be brought under scrutiny by the PAC,” revealed Kesupile.
