Namibia's Finance Minister, Ericah Shafudah, has called on Parliamentary Budget Offices (PBOs) across Africa to modernise their analytical tools and strengthen their institutional capacity. This call was made at the 9th Annual Conference of the African Network of Parliamentary Budget Offices (AN-PBOs) in Swakopmund. Shafudah emphasised that PBOs play a crucial role in improving transparency, accountability, and scrutiny of public finances. With governments facing growing pressure to deliver public value from constrained resources, PBOs must adapt to meet these demands.
Shafudah highlighted that governments across Africa are required to achieve more with limited resources while demonstrating that public spending produces tangible results and maintaining citizens' trust. PBOs are central to this process, translating complex fiscal information into analysis that legislatures can use to scrutinise government spending and policy decisions. By providing legislatures with information on how public resources are raised, allocated, and spent, as well as their impact, PBOs enable effective oversight of public finances.
The minister cited Namibia's shift to Outcome-Based Budgeting as an example of the importance of institutional capacity and power in the budget process. This transition involves moving away from a narrow focus on inputs and line items towards a framework that examines what government expenditure has achieved. The shift requires new frameworks, capacity, and accountability practices across government, from central government to regional and local authorities.
Shafudah stressed that budget reform is not merely a technical exercise but an institutional one that requires the offices and officials responsible for scrutiny and analysis to be adequately empowered, resourced, and modernised. The modernisation of the PBO toolkit is crucial in addressing the challenges posed by complex fiscal environments. African governments are dealing with debt sustainability pressures, climate and disaster financing needs, and increased demands for budget transparency.
According to Shafudah, PBOs cannot meet these demands using outdated tools. Well-resourced and technically capable PBOs can strengthen rather than weaken the work of finance ministries. Stronger PBOs will help ensure that difficult budgetary trade-offs are understood and debated by both the executive and legislature, and ultimately by citizens.
The AN-PBO network provides an important platform for institutions at different stages of development to exchange methodologies, knowledge, and practical experience. Shafudah emphasised that Namibia remains committed to supporting the network and its efforts to strengthen parliamentary budget oversight across the continent. This support is crucial in promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance in public finances.
The 9th Annual Conference of the African Network of Parliamentary Budget Offices (AN-PBOs) brings together PBOs from across Africa to discuss key issues and share best practices. The conference provides a unique opportunity for PBOs to learn from each other and enhance their capacity to support effective budget oversight. By modernising their tools and strengthening their institutional capacity, PBOs can play a more effective role in promoting transparency and accountability in public finances.
Key points
- PBOs must modernise their analytical tools and strengthen institutional capacity to improve transparency and accountability.
- Governments across Africa face growing pressure to deliver public value from constrained resources.
- The AN-PBO network provides a platform for institutions to exchange methodologies and practical experience.
