By Sukuoluhle Ndlovu
The Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) is aimed to ensure that citizens are fully engaged and participate in the law making process before the Public Finance Bill is passed as a law in the country.
ZIMCODD is making sure that citizens are being engaged by making various engagements with them and advocating for their participation.
According to the country’s constitution, people must fully understand the law before it is implemented as whatever is passed will seriously affect them in the future.
The citizens through ZIMCODD have aired their demands and are calling for an understanding of the the PFM Act before it is passed into law.
This was revealed in the Weekend Reader that was published by ZIMCODD last week.
“Public views must be enforced and monitored for implementation. The implementation of the recommendations has been characterized by reluctance of public entities with no resolve and accountability. Citizens are therefore calling for mechanisms to enforce and monitor implementation of the recommendations by public entities with penalties put in place in cases of non compliance. The Parliament should play a critical role in enforcing the implementation of the recommendations.
“There is call for the repealing of the amendment of Section 327 of the Constitution to ensure that the PRM Act strengthens the Parliament’s oversight role on public finance management. The essence of the PFM Bill in strengthening PFM in Zimbabwe will be undermined if the constitutional amendment of section 327 is allowed to pass. Local and national budgets should be approved upon sufficient evidence.
“The PFM Act should strengthen and advance local and national budget transparency, participation and oversight. We are demanding that the local and national budgets should only be approved upon sufficient evidence of genuine and meaningful citizen engagement and consultation in the preparation of the budgets. This requires adequate notice to the public and proper timing for the meetings to enable citizens to participate,”
The citizens views and perspectives will also help in strengthening the Public Finance Management bill to promote sound public finance management in Zimbabwe.
