The Chairperson of the National Council, Lukas Muha, has urged parliamentary standing committees to effectively plan and coordinate activities to avoid duplication of tasks in their oversight duties.

Muha was speaking at the official opening of the National Council Standing Committees' annual planning and budgeting session at Otjiwarongo.

Muha said it is Parliament's duty to oversee the government on behalf of the people while promoting accountability, transparency, good governance, and service delivery.

He noted that oversight prevents misuse of power and resources and protects citizens' rights and interests.

"Oversight itself must meet the test of accountability. Therefore, committee plans should avoid duplication, ensure value for money, and prioritise basic services such as healthcare, housing, education, water, energy, employment, infrastructure, food security and safety, to mention but a few. For this reason, recommendations made by Parliament to the executive must be tracked and monitored. I therefore urge the Implementation and Coordination Committee (ICC) of the National Council to innovate and develop a "dashboard system" in order to follow up on reports and ensure that our recommendations are acted upon."

The National Council Vice Chairperson, Emma Muteka, encouraged members to take decisions that will translate into tangible developments for the Namibian people.

"From our cities to our most remote communities, every Namibian must feel included, considered, and represented in the work we do here. Honourable Members, the theme before us, Enhancing Parliamentary Oversight and Participatory Democracy, is not just a phrase, it is a call to action. Let us not view it as a routine exercise, it is the backbone of accountability. It is how we ensure that public resources are used for the purpose they are meant for. It is how we close the gap between policy and reality. Because when systems fail, it is not structures that suffer, it is the grassroots."