The Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly, in collaboration with the Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC), on Tuesday hosted a high-level tripartite consultative meeting at the National Assembly Auditorium.
The engagement brought together key institutions in the country’s financial accountability chain, including the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (MoFEA), the National Audit Office (NAO), and the heads of various Independent Institutions.
The primary objective was to harmonize budget coordination, standardize submission formats, and strengthen the collaborative framework required for effective parliamentary oversight and fiscal discipline.
In his opening remarks, the Clerk of the National Assembly, Khalipha M.M. Mbye, observed that recent budget cycles have been marred by mounting fiscal and procedural pressures.
He noted that submissions from Independent Institutions have frequently been characterised by fragmented timelines and inconsistent formats, leading to significant delays.
He emphasised that for oversight to be meaningful, the accountability value chain from budget preparation by the executive to final review by the legislature must be seamless, predictable, and technically sound.
The Chairperson of the Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC), Hon. Alhagie S. Darboe, highlighted the ripple effects of poor coordination on the legislature’s work.
He noted that inconsistencies in submission formats and a lack of synergy among stakeholders have direct implications for budget execution and compliance with statutory requirements.
“The purpose of this engagement is to provide a structured platform for dialogue between the Committee, Independent Institutions, and the Ministry of Finance,” Hon. Darboe explained. “We are working towards identifying practical, sustainable, and mutually agreed solutions to the challenges confronting our budget process.”
The meeting served as a technical forum to identify pressure points and to propose a more synchronised budget process flow. Participants discussed the adoption of standardised templates and the enforcement of stricter timelines to ensure that the National Assembly has adequate time for thorough scrutiny before the constitutionally mandated deadlines.
