PARLIAMENT has been adjourned till Friday 15 November to give the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) ample time to look at the 2025 Appropriation Bill 2024 (2025 Budget).
The house resumed on Monday but was readjourned after the passage of a Special Adjournment Motion moved by Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele.
All sides of the House agreed to the Special Adjournment Motion as the resumption of Parliament yesterday for its final sitting for this year is fundamentally to deliberate on and pass the 2025 Appropriation Bill 2024.
PM Manele said the Special Adjournment will give time for Caucus and Cabinet to look through the budget before being submitted to PAC for scrutiny prior to being tabled in Parliament for debate and passage.
When winding up the motion, PM Manele thanked all sides of the house for their understanding of the need for the adjournment and assured that Caucus and Cabinet will deliberate on the Appropriation Bill by this week and it should be submitted to the house for PAC scrutiny by early next week.
He added that this adjournment would give sufficient time for the PAC to schedule its hearing into the bill.
PM Manele thanked the PAC Chair for the commitment he expressed to prioritize the budget in terms of PAC hearings. The PAC Chair stated that he will ensure that the PAC Report on the budget will be ready by 2 December to allow Parliament to debate and pass the budget.
The PM said all sides of the House have agreed that the passage of the budget is important for the country and that it must be passed by 31 December to avoid a constitutional crisis.
The 2025 Budget strives to achieve two important objectives and these are fast-tracking investment in key economic infrastructure to diversify the economy to achieve transformational economic growth and strengthening the delivery of services to people.
By IAN LADDS OSO
Solomon Star, Honiara
