06 Oct 2015

The sitting of the Parliamentary Statutory Bodies and State Enterprises committee will, from this week, convene to examine books of accounts of various parastatals.

The committee kicked off with a breakfast meeting to discuss the methodology of doing the examination of books of accounts of the corporations and to lay down the expectations of both the committee and the corporations.

Addressing the meeting, Parliamentary Statutory Bodies and State Enterprises committee chairperson and also Member of Parliament for Tati East MP, Mr Guma Moyo said the main purpose of the meeting was to discuss the objectives of examining parastatals, which he said the committee would undertake until October 16, 2015.

Examining parastatals, Mr Moyo said was important as it would help committee members to interact with CEOs of various parastatals in Botswana in order to understand their mandate and operations.  The public, Mr Moyo said also expected MPs to ask probing questions about these entities.

“The emphasis here is to appreciate what your organisations are all about in terms of their operations and environment. So, give us your executive summary, key objectives and challenges. 

We are going to scrutinise along these lines,” he said.

Gaborone Bonnington South MP and also Umbrella for Democratic Change Secretary General, Mr Ndaba Gaolathe who is also a committee member encouraged the CEOs to ensure they compile their executive summaries well and give all the necessary details.

He  also stressed that, through the Parliamentary Statutory Bodies and State Enterprises committee, Parliament as a body that authorises huge amounts of money in subventions to these entities, must examine them for accountability and transparency.

For his remarks, National Assembly deputy speaker and also Gaborone South MP, Mr Kagiso Molatlhegi thanked CEOs for making time to meet with members of the Parliamentary Statutory Bodies and State Enterprises committee. Ends