PAC plays vital role in ensuring govt's financial transparency

Speakers at a workshop yesterday said Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of parliament plays a vital role in ensuring financial transparency and accountability of the government and public servants.
Titled 'Briefing and information sharing: PAC practice', the daylong workshop was organised by Strengthening Public Account Committee Project of Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat and the World Bank Dhaka office.
Addressing as the chief guest, Speaker Abdul Hamid Advocate said transparency and accountability is needed in public sector for sustainable economic development.
“We promised in the party's election manifesto that we'd take every step to ensure transparency and accountability in the public sector,” Hamid said.
He also said that PAC is the most important committee of any parliamentary system, adding: “PAC is one of the only two standing committees named in our constitution.”
Giving a statistics, Hamid said as many as 98 audit reports with 1742 audit complaints are pending in the House since 2000 which involves Tk 14,848.19 crore.
He said the government is trying to develop the country's image in the international forums by way of sustainable progress in economic sector and ensuring transparency and accountability in all spheres.
Tahseen Sayed, acting country director of World Bank, said improving overall public sector governance would be incomplete unless there is a strong oversight over governance system.
“The legislature, who have been entrusted by the people to ensure accountability at all levels, must hold the government accountable for administering public purse,” he added.
BNP Vice Chairman MK Anwar told reporters that PAC ensures transparency and accountability of the government.
He admitted that there might be some irregularities in spending public money during the last BNP-led alliance government.
The opposition lawmaker also commented that it would be better if the chairman of PAC was nominated from the opposition.
Ashfaque Hamid, secretary of Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat, said PAC plays a pivotal role in ensuring financial accountability of the government.
The World Bank-funded three-year project will expire on December 2011. It remained inactive in the last two years as the parliament was inoperative.