Business unusual

Yes, it is business unusual, the recent electioneering season was a jump start to this long journey in the unknown world of devolution. New centres and tabernacles of power were erected and now they are up and running. Just like in my previous writings, we not only devolved 47 governments but these are 47 mini economies. If you doubt my words, then ask yourself, why do these units engage in budgeting process? Essentially, the traditional budgeting process recognised such units into departments, the famous DEL the departmental expenditure limits which focused mostly on cash limits, but that was the past.
These traditional models was justified by a risk averse generation of people who feared the mystery of the future. These people ran a cash starved budget with an excuse of inducing financial discipline in to the public sector, thanks to them, we stagnated our economic recovery journey. Cash based budgets is a thing of the past, it is so worrying that the government of the day is still advocating for such measures especially with regard to devolved system, their loud excuse of course being lack of capacity. Ooh yes, capacity is lacking indeed, thanks to a reluctant and defunct Transitional Authority whose mandate was to help county governments build capacity.
With the devolution equation still incomplete, maybe its time we shall have to revisit our budgeting system once more. Going forward, we need to address pressing issues of the ballooning unemployed population, the increasing wage bill while keeping in mind as a nation we need to remain a competitive economy within the region. Ours should now be a resource based budget that sounds more responsive and effective in addressing the demands of this dynamic generation.
The public sector both at the national and county level should incorporate both best practices from public and private sector to ensure effective and efficient service delivery minus compromising its long-term aspirations especially with regard to capital expenditure. It goes without saying that with the advent of devolution, the call for the restructuring of our budgeting system and other public financial practices cannot be ignored.If indeed devolution was a measure to address issues at the grass root level, then apparently that should begin at the budgeting process.
Today i do not have opinions nor will I air my contemplations on this subject, that would be premature and indiscreet of me now that am not a budgeting expert. But from the little knowledge I have on the budgeting process, it does not only involve formulation, there's implementation, monitoring and evaluation. What is happening right now, is the change of the formulation process and the parties there to. It is therefore, discreet to do a total overhaul of the whole process even to change the system in order to fit in the new dispensation. We know change is here to stay, we shall lose a lot struggling to consult a past that is a liability to development.