The Clerk of Tynwald, Mr Roger Phillips, has returned from an EU-funded mission to Namibia where he was assisting the republic’s parliament in developing effective legislative scrutiny processes in relation to government delivery on poverty reduction strategies.
Mr Phillips, together with ex-House of Commons colleague Mr Alan Sandall, was commissioned to work on the parliamentary oversight project as part of an EU-funded poverty reduction programme in Namibia where the economy is heavily reliant on subsistence farming and livestock husbandry and government action is focused increasingly on ‘accelerating economic development through deepening rural development’.
Mr Phillips explained: ‘The main focus of the work was to adapt the Standing Rules and Orders to better reflect modern-day parliament and improve working practices. A major likely reform will be the enhancement of Standing Committees in order that they may play a more decisive role in the monitoring of policy delivery.’
During his five-day visit Mr Phillips met with the Prime Minister, Mr Angula Nahas, Speaker of the National Assembly Mr Theo-Ben Guirab, Chief Whip Mr Peter Katjavivi, parliamentary whips and a number of minority party leaders.
Mr Phillips will return to Windhoek, Namibia in March to lead an all-party seminar in the National Assembly Chamber.
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