MUTARE– Chairman of Parliament’s, Public Accounts Committee Tendai Biti, says the ZWL$18 billion stimulus package announced by government should focus on provide safety nets to vulnerable citizens.
Speaking during virtual meeting hosted by Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) aimed at enhancing prudent public resources management Biti said government is committing a crime against humanity by failing to provide safety nets.
“It is criminal on our government not give safety nets, people need to be given US$30 or US$50 a week, people need to be giving mealie meal, and our people are dying.
“Other countries are doing it, one would have thought that ZWL$18 billion was going to buy safety nets, it’s criminal for government not to provide.
“Even in eighteen billion dollar package, 6 billion is being given to agriculture and 1 billion to Covid (Health) yet that is the disease, we are facing a leadership issue.
“It’s a crime against humanity because the State in terms of Section 43 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe has a duty to protect lives and the right to life and human dignity Section 48 and 50 of the Constitution are the most important provisions.
“We need to give people safety nets, we are not doing that and that’s a disaster,” said Biti.
Biti also made sensational claims the stimulus package is illegitimate without Parliament’s approval as he called for an immediate convening of the House of Assembly to first approve the package.
He said there is an urgent need to convene amend the Parliamentary Portfolio Committees, on Health, Budget and Finance and the Public Accounts Committee.
“Going forward I would suggest that the relevant parliamentary portfolio committees should meet in particular the committee on Health, Budget and Finance and perhaps the Public Accounts Committee we should meet we can meet virtually.
“The Minister of Finance must urgently, urgently bring before Parliament the ZWL$18 billion stimulus package for approval and for debate,” he said.
In the long run there should be an amendment of the Public Finance Management Act to give citizens authority to hold government to account as it delivers its constitutional obligations in managing the public purse, said Biti.
He said there should be a post Covid forensic audit at the behest of Parliament to analyze the expenditure of all resources donated and provided for fighting the global pandemic.
“When Covid is over there must be a forensic audit of done at the special instance and request of Parliament over all resources donated and otherwise that have been used in Covid both in cash and in kind.
“The Public Finance Management Act must be amended to allow civil society to scrutinize the use of the budget, are complying for instance with Section 183 which say public resources must be used for development.
“In as much as Parliamentary Portfolio Committees must have a role, I think the civil society organisations like ZIMCODD and citizens must have a role of forcing government to fully disclose,” said Biti.
