1. The Zambian Environment
BY aNTHONY TSEKPO

2. Constitution Article 62 - Legislative power vested in parliament
Article 114 (1) - No taxation without an Act of Parliament
Article 115 (2) - The issue of expenditure warrant by the President is contingent, among other conditions, on expenditure being authorised by the appropriations Act.
Article (117) - Supplementary Budget shall be laid before the National Assembly

3. Standing Orders - Functions of the Committee on Estimates
Examine estimates and excess expenditure appropriations bill;
Report on economics, improvement in organisation, efficiency or administrative reform, consistent with policy underlying the estimates and whether the money is well laid within the limits of the policy implied in the estimates;
Suggest alternative policies in order to bring about efficiency and economy in administration;
Carry out regular examination and scrutiny of budgets, and estimates and management thereof, and conduct budget hearings;
Make recommendations andreports to the House for the formulation and implementation of future budget estimates.

4. Constittutional Ammendments No. 20 of 2009
Timing of presentation of the budget - second Friday of October or earlier
Approval by Parliament - by 31 December
Article 118A - requires a link between the medium and long term development plans and the annual budget

5. National Planning and Budgeting Policy
A prelude the Planning and Budgeting Bill
Ultimate objective - improving qualitaty of public service outcomes through
Providing a framework for planning and budgeting that is:
Responsive,
transparent,
accountable, and
Result-oriented

6. Parliamentary Reform Committee
Dating back to November 2000 recommended
Revamping Parliament's role in the budget process with emphasis on legislative foresight and oversight;
Identify the annual approval of the budget as one of its major functions but acknowledged the following limitations:
political alignments
procedures
analytical deficiencies
Constitutional constraints
High turnover of MPs

7. Conclusion Overall interest in :
improved fiscal management and discipline
Prioritisation and value for money
These are essential elements enshrined in Constititution that have engaged the attention of MPs and Parliamentary Committees for which they have acknowledgethe need for technical backstopping to perform their funcction better,