By NAKUBIANA SHABONGO –
THE Executive should demonstrate strong political will to ensure effective implemention of Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Southern Africa Development Community Organisation of Public Accounts Committees (SADCOPAC) has said.
SADCOPAC chairperson Hlomane Chauke said this would ensure actions were taken against non-compliance.
Mr Chauke who is also North West Provincial Legislature in South Africa said in a communique released folliwng the 11th SADCOPAC annual conference and annual general meeting in Lusaka.
He said member states should ensure that there was adquate legal and policy frameworks which would enhance the role of the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) in performing their procurement audits.
He said PACs should monitor the alignment of the e-prcurement system to the existing procurement regulations and framework by collaborating with the Civil Society Organisations, media and general public to act as watchdogs over the implementation of e-procurement t timely point out the flaws and challenges.
“PAC in consultation with other parliamentary committees should ensure annual procurement audit reports to be tabled and debated in parliament,” he said.
Mr Chauke said PACs should be empowered to have greater oversight on procurement entities and this should include monitoring of projects as they are being implemented.
“SADCOPAC urges Governments from member countries to investigate and move towards e-procurement as part of the overall e-government framework.
“Nothing immense benefits which come by e-procurement such as increased transparency, access to information by the public on public procurement,” he said.
Mr Chauke said in their endeavor to curb corruption member countries should consider introducing lifestyle audits, declaration of assets and enact access to information laws among other things.
He said PACs should strengthen their relationship with SAIs, Treasury Departments and Public Procurement Regulatory bodies to be able to identify areas that each respective body should focus on in order to curb corruption.
SADCOPAC has since wished African Governments to take measures to end the Ebola crisis that has claimed hundreds of lives of innocent people on the continent.