By politico staff writer
Staffs of the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) of Sierra Leone’s parliament and other critical stakeholders have been trained to understand the intricate processes and procedures involved in money bill determination and cost so as to ensure the rolling out of the same in the legislative process.
The event which was supported by the Inter-Parliament Union (IPU) was hosted by PBO through a webinar held at the Parliament Building, Tower Hill in Freetown on the 29th of June 2023.
The training was attended by representatives of the Parliaments of South Africa, South Korea, Somalia, and staff of PBO and also attracted other departments including the Legislative, and Law Officer's department of the judiciary, among others.
In her opening statement, the Director General of PBO Finda Findosia Fraser said that the gathering represented a significant milestone in the efforts of the Sierra Leone Parliament to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among Parliamentary institutions across Africa and beyond.
She stated that their participation reflects the global recognition of the importance of effective Public Financial Management and policy decision-making that money bill determination and costing tend to achieve. She encouraged participants to actively engage, ask probing questions, and to make meaningful contributions.
In her brief remarks, Norah Babic from IPU explained that the webinar is intended to inform and share experiences on Money bill determination and costing.
The Director of PBO, Ibrahim Jimissa in his statement praise the IPU whose partnership and support to Parliament over the years he said, has been immense. He said he is of the conviction that the introduction of money Bill determination and costing will aid the PBO to transform the way they assess the financial and economic implications of legislative proposals by ensuring that they align with budgetary realities and national priorities.
He noted that bringing together representatives from other parliaments as well as some key departments within the Sierra Leone Parliament and representatives of the law officer’s department will create an opportunity to foster dialogue, share expertise and explore potential avenues for cooperation.
Jimissa concluded by extending gratitude to Directors Gilbert N'habay, Dean Rogers, and their respective teams, as well as ICT colleagues for their technical support and participation.
The webinar presentations were done by PBO experts in money Bills analysis and costing from South Africa and South Korea.
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