Policy makers want State to account for resource wastage

By Jackson Okoth

Policy makers want Parliament to use its muscle to ensure wastage by the government is also contained.

Available figures indicate that out of the Sh1.6 trillion 2013/14 budget, an estimated 74 per cent of all expenditures are by the executive arm of the national government.

This is despite focus shifting to how county governments are spending their resources.  “There is need to cut expenditure within the national executive by sealing off all the loopholes and a balance in the debate concerning wastage at both the national and county government levels,” said Kwame Owino-Chief Executive-Institute of Economic Affairs.

“The recent disclosure that some Sh1.8 billion is paid to ghost workers raises questions on how the Government payroll system is managed and importance of managing the public wage bill,” said Owino.

 He made these remarks yesterday during the beginning of pre-budget hearings 2014/15 sessions, to be presented to the Cabinet Secretary-Treasury. To cut on public spending, the Public Finance Management Act 2013 has set borrowing limits for both national and county governments.

 It also put caps on recurrent expenditure and harmonised government cash management systems.