- Public Expenditure Committee hampered by funding and quorum challenges
BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
CHAIRMAN of the Public Expenditure Committee (PEC) and Member of Parliament for East Central Guadalcanal Constituency, Lazarus Alfred Rina, says 2025 has been a challenging year for the committee due to persistent resource and operational constraints.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament last week, he said the committee continues to operate with limited financial resources, which has affected its ability to conduct thorough investigations and effectively carry out its oversight role.
“This year, indeed, was a very challenging year for the Public Expenditure Committee. Some of the challenges we were faced with were issues of quorum during committee meetings, lateness to meetings, and budget constraints,” Rina said.
He explained that inadequate funding has restricted the committee’s ability to engage consultants, provide training for members and staff, and access modern data analysis tools.
“As a result, the committee is forced to prioritise only a few cases, even when many issues require examination,” he said.
Rina reminded Parliament that under Standing Order 71F, the Public Expenditure Committee is mandated to review budget expenditure and make observations and recommendations arising from its deliberations.
“In line with this mandate, the committee resolved on 24 February 2025 to conduct budget reviews for the 2025 financial year, as well as for the third and fourth quarters of 2024. This inquiry is ongoing,” he said.
He added that the committee has already conducted hearings with officials from the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development and will continue with other ministries next year.
Rina said the inquiry is critical to ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.
“This is important for Solomon Islands, as people need to know how budget allocations are being spent to ensure public resources are used effectively for the benefit of our citizens,” he said.
He said that budget constraints have long been a recurring issue affecting parliamentary committees in the execution of their oversight responsibilities.
“I recommend that Parliament be allocated sufficient financial and human resources to enable committees to effectively carry out their oversight role,” Rina said.
Photo: Supplied
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