Staff Reporter
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, has called for stronger parliamentary oversight of public finances as African countries grapple with mounting fiscal pressures, debt vulnerabilities, illicit financial flows and growing demands for public services.
“Parliaments hold the ultimate constitutional power of the purse. It is our binding obligation to ensure that every borrowing decision, every economic policy shift, and every budget allocation reflects prudence, transparency, and the collective interest of the citizens we serve. To achieve this, we must actively champion increased citizen participation within our budget processes, ensure that our legislative actions directly protect and elevate the livelihoods of our people,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said.
She made these remarks at the AN-PBO Conference in Swakopmund, held under the theme: “The Role of PBOs in Supporting their Legislatures’ Oversight Towards Realising Africa’s Agenda 2063.”
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila explained that, although public debt can help finance economic growth and development, excessive or unchecked borrowing can threaten economic stability and shift the burden of debt onto future generations. She stressed that effective parliamentary oversight of public debt is therefore both a financial responsibility and a fundamental democratic duty.
“However, to exercise this oversight effectively, parliaments cannot rely on political will alone; parliaments require specialised, independent, and unvarnished technical capacity. This is exactly where Parliamentary Budget Offices and Independent Fiscal Institutions (IFIs) become indispensable engines of legislative effectiveness and fiscal accountability. PBOs and IFIs empower legislators with independent analysis, rigorous fiscal forecasting, and the objective technical advice required to scrutinise Executive spending and demand real development outcomes,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said.
Video: Parliament.
