#National News

Hon. K.K. Barrow attends delocalised joint committee meeting in Lome

May 19, 2022, 12:55 PM | Article By: Ismaila Sonko

Hon Kebba K Barrow, National Assembly Member for Kombo South Constituency is currently in Lome, Togo attending the Delocalised Joint Committee meeting on Public Accounts, Administration Finance and Budget, Macro-Economic Policies and Policy Research, Trade Customs and Free Movement. The meeting is under the theme:

“The modalities for the practical implementation of Articles 9 and 11 of the Supplementary Act of the Parliament in respect of the consideration of the Community Audit Reports”. The meeting is taking place from 16th to 20th May 2022.

As Chair of the Marco - Economic Policies and Economic Research of the ECOWAS Parliament, he will be co-chairing the meeting with the chair of the Committee on Administration Finance and Budget. After the meeting on the 20th, he will proceed to Abuja to attend the First Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament.

The ECOWAS Parliament, also known as the Community Parliament, is one of the Institutions of ECOWAS. It is the Assembly of Peoples of the Community serving as a forum for dialogue, consultation, and consensus for Representatives of the people of West Africa with the aim of promoting integration. It was established under Articles 6 and 13 of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty of 1993. It provides for the Structure, Composition, Competence, Objectives, and other matters relating to the Parliament.

Under its mandate and in accordance with Article 9. C and 11. 1 of the Supplementary Act Relating to the Enhancement of the Powers of the ECOWAS Parliament, Mandatory Referral of Annual Audit Reports of Community Organs and Institutions and Parliament’s Opinion is required. The objective is to promote the practices of accountability.

The benefits of the Joint Committee meeting would be to improve internal control systems, to provide credibility, and to provide requisite information for better financial planning and decision making.

The main objective of the meeting is to enable Members (MPs) of the Joint Committee to examine, better understand, and take ownership of the implementation of Articles 9 and 11 of the Supplementary Act A/SA.1/12/16 of the Parliament in respect of the consideration of the Community Audit Reports.

The specific objectives of the meeting are to strengthen and consolidate the collaborative relationship between the Community Institutions, Office of the Auditor General and the Community Parliament in the implementation Articles 9 and 11 of the Supplementary Act;

- To propose measures to ensure the successful implementation of Articles 9 and 11 of the Supplementary Act, to understand the composition of Members of the Community Audit Committee and its role, and to examine the level of compliance on issues raised and recommendations made by the External Auditor in the Management Letter. Also, to know the Community’s External Audit Firm.

The expected results of the meeting are to ensure MPs are involved in the community's decision-making process to ensure the full participation of the aspirations of the people of West Africa, MPs are involved in promoting the practice of accountability, and MPs of the Joint Committee propose specific actions, measures, and activities to support and complement the work of the Community Institutions in addressing the challenges associated with the implementation of Articles 9 and 11 of the Supplementary Act of Parliament.