Khomas Council supports Parliament Access Centres

PARLIAMENT Access Centres (PACs) may soon become a reality in all regions.

Last week the Khomas Regional Council added its support to the creation of these envisioned interactive centres. PACs are envisioned as centres that will house Parliamentary documents, research data and other related materials on laws under deliberation in the National Assembly (NA) and National Council (NC).The Khomas Regional Council joined 12 other regional authorities in supporting a motion tabled in Parliament this year, which calls for establishing centres in all regions.The aim is to enable citizens to play a more interactive role in parliamentary procedures.Councillors are sceptical, however, about the costs involved in setting up the proposed centres, which would include infrastructure, human resources and computers.The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs, which was assigned by the NA to investigate the possibility of making PAC a reality, met with Councillors from the Khomas Region in Windhoek.Using the current friction between unlicensed shebeen owners and the recently implemented Liquor Act as a case study, councillors and MPs said that citizens at grassroots level had been allowed to remain ignorant on the formation of laws for longer than the country could afford.”Everyone knows about the demonstrations going on, and it’s not their (shebeen owners’) fault.Parliament is supposed to inform the public on what rights they have, what is expected of them.Also in the Kavango (region) a number of cattle farmers are (allowing their cattle to graze) illegally,” DTA MP Phillemon Moongo said.”They weren’t well-informed of the laws of the country.”Swapo MP Chief Ankama, who tabled the motion in February, said PACs could enable people in the regions to watch live Parliamentary debates, serve as platforms for informed debate and stimulate discussions and lobbying of MPs on matters under discussion.Ankama proposed that the idea of PAC be turned into an act of law, which would allow for the National Assembly, National Council, Regional and Local Authorities to set aside money for its establishment, while at the same time soliciting funds from other potential sources.PACs are envisioned as centres that will house Parliamentary documents, research data and other related materials on laws under deliberation in the National Assembly (NA) and National Council (NC).The Khomas Regional Council joined 12 other regional authorities in supporting a motion tabled in Parliament this year, which calls for establishing centres in all regions.The aim is to enable citizens to play a more interactive role in parliamentary procedures.Councillors are sceptical, however, about the costs involved in setting up the proposed centres, which would include infrastructure, human resources and computers.The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs, which was assigned by the NA to investigate the possibility of making PAC a reality, met with Councillors from the Khomas Region in Windhoek.Using the current friction between unlicensed shebeen owners and the recently implemented Liquor Act as a case study, councillors and MPs said that citizens at grassroots level had been allowed to remain ignorant on the formation of laws for longer than the country could afford.”Everyone knows about the demonstrations going on, and it’s not their (shebeen owners’) fault.Parliament is supposed to inform the public on what rights they have, what is expected of them.Also in the Kavango (region) a number of cattle farmers are (allowing their cattle to graze) illegally,” DTA MP Phillemon Moongo said.”They weren’t well-informed of the laws of the country.” Swapo MP Chief Ankama, who tabled the motion in February, said PACs could enable people in the regions to watch live Parliamentary debates, serve as platforms for informed debate and stimulate discussions and lobbying of MPs on matters under discussion.Ankama proposed that the idea of PAC be turned into an act of law, which would allow for the National Assembly, National Council, Regional and Local Authorities to set aside money for its establishment, while at the same time soliciting funds from other potential sources.