Bahrain - The government will be obliged to present status reports on recurrent expenditure and project progress for ministries and government organisations every three months.

The amendment was approved by the Shura Council yesterday, a month after being approved by parliament, and will go to His Majesty King Hamad for ratification.

Council financial and economic affairs committee chairman Khalid Al Maskati said it would improve transparency in the government’s financial affairs.

“People have every right to know about the progress of work and what money is being spent on recurrent expenditure to know how finances are being managed,” he said.

“There are amounts that are exaggerated per project, or administrative project, and can be only spotted when tenders are handed over or pay cheques are given.

“We can overcome obstacles when they are spotted early, but waiting a year makes it impossible to correct things.”

Council legislative and legal affairs committee chairwoman Dalal Al Zayed also supported the amendment.

“There are several delays to projects, which could stem from financial problems or other technical issues,” she said.

“Parliament needs to know what’s going on to decide on the scope of action at the time, before waiting for the closing financial statement at the end of the year.

“MPs need to be made aware about percentages of work on projects, while assessing recurrent expenditure and seeing there is no excessive spending.

“It also helps MPs determine budgets and whether ministries or government bodies need them or not, whenever revising the national budget presented by the government every two years.”

Council foreign affairs, defence and national security committee vice-chairman Shaikh Adel Al Maawada said the amendment should be a first step to even further openness about public finances.

“Finances should be made public online, like any developed country in the world, and people should be able to access them through a mobile app – like those that locate planes in their route in the air,” he said.

“The government has to work transparently.

“The world is transparent now. Despite seeing the three-month reporting as a step in the right direction, I think more transparency could be ensured through uploading all details from A to Z online.”

However, council first vice-chairman Jamal Fakhro warned the move could lead to unnecessary parliamentary meddling in the government’s finances.

“This amendment will just create confusion and hinder the progress of work by the government since MPs will be interfering in executive affairs, not monitoring them as is their right,” he said.

Meanwhile, Parliament and Shura Council Affairs Minister Ghanim Al Buainain said the amendment “wouldn’t help achieve anything”.

“Three months wouldn’t reflect work, since national budgets are delayed for an average of six months,” he said.

“This is why there are low percentages, which pick up fast in the second year of the budget.

“Parliament can amend numbers when the national budget is handed over to them and can also question ministers.

“Low oil prices led to us delaying the 2017-2018 budget and waiting for a base figure for the oil price from October 2016 until June last year.

“That is a factor missing from the equation.”

He added tenders could be also be withdrawn, reissued or cancelled, but details of such development would not be explained in the numbers.


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