File Photo – Lehtikuva.
Parliament’s budgetary and supervisory powers have declined, as those responsibilities have moved to officials and the government over the past couple of decades, according to the Parliamentary Audit Committee.
According to the Audit Committee chairman, Eero Heinäluoma, the most significant factor behind the transition of power is the fact that the parliament’s decision-making powers regarding appropriations has been compiled into larger entities, and officials have more power within those entities.
According to the Audit Committee report, parliament has also been passive, for example, on supervision of the use of funds.
The more than 300 pages of the report contain the findings of a comprehensive survey on the changes of parliament’s budgetary and supervisory powers since 1990.
