Bunge-Lenye-Meno-A-Parliament-with-Teeth-for-Tanzania-LAXNNAJ547

A Parliament with Teeth, for Tanzania
A closer relationship with donors
The PAC has highlighted the issue of parallel accountability. If we
continue as we have in the past, the authority of parliament is watered
down. Instead of this parallel accountability, the PAC should be
included in government reporting to donors. After all, the PAC and
donors are asking the same questions.
“The donors are coming under pressure from
parliamentarians and in the case of General
Budget Support we are beginning to see a closer
relationship with donors.”
In 2007, all the donor nations from the European Union (EU) came to
Dodoma. I had the pleasure of a two-hour interview with all the
European ambassadors, which was a very good gesture. They discussed
their concerns. They agreed that we should share as much information
as possible. In the case of GBS, donors are beginning to share
documents with us. This cooperation should be extended to project
support. The EU and the UNDP should share their reports with
parliament.
When we talk about accountability we mean budget accountability: the
work of the PAC is about monies tabled in parliament. These funds
include ‘basket’ funding and project financing. We should be able
entirely to remove the issue of parallel accountability, by routing the
process of donor accountability through parliament. Accounting officers
in government are accountable to parliament.
62