Staff Reporter
MEMBERS of the National Council are meeting in Otjiwarongo this week for a planning and budgeting session aimed at strengthening parliamentary oversight, improving accountability and enhancing public participation in governance.
The week-long National Council Standing Committees Annual Planning and Budgeting Session for the 2026/2027 financial year has brought together Members of the National Council, stakeholders and parliamentary staff under the theme, “Enhancing Parliamentary Oversight and Participatory Democracy.”
The session is focused on developing committee work plans and budgets for the upcoming financial year, while also reviewing mechanisms to strengthen Parliament’s oversight role. Deliberations are expected to result in a consolidated programme of action to guide the work of the National Council’s Standing Committees.
Opening the session, National Council Chairperson, Hon. Lukas Sinimbo Muha, emphasised the importance of Parliament’s oversight function in promoting accountability, transparency and good governance.
Muha said Standing Committees play a central role in Parliament’s oversight mandate through scrutinising budgets, monitoring government institutions, conducting public consultations and undertaking oversight visits aimed at improving service delivery and protecting the interests of citizens.
He added that the planning session provides Members with an opportunity to strengthen their oversight role and develop practical plans that will guide committee activities during the 2026/2027 financial year.
National Council Vice-Chairperson and Chairperson of the National Council Implementation and Coordination Committee, Hon. Emma Tangi Muteka, also called for people-centred planning during the opening session.
Muteka urged Members to ensure that parliamentary programmes respond directly to the needs and realities of communities across the country. She said the gathering presents an opportunity for Members to move beyond routine planning and embrace purposeful leadership that delivers meaningful and lasting outcomes for citizens.
The planning and budgeting session is scheduled to conclude on Friday.
Photo: Parliament of the Republic of Namibia
