The House Public Accounts Committee has approved Malta’s adherence to theconstitution of the Commonwealth Association of Pub-lic Accounts Committees, (or CAPAC).

Committee chair Tonio Fenech said that the Commonwealth was seeking to set up common public accounts committees for setting standards of transparency and accountability in all parliamentary PACs.

The association aimed to strengthen PACs’ independence, establish them as information clearing houses and make them responsible for peer reviews towards better governance. Mr Fenech said the constitution document assured there would be a rotation of the countries on the committee of the CAPAC.

Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said the initiative was positive. The proposed association was a means of fostering democracy, he said. The PAC was a long arm of Parliament and spurred the government to transparency and accountability. CAPAC offered structures to bolster democracy.

Francis Zammit Dimech (PN) said setting up the PAC in Malta was a significant step. He said it was interesting that the CAPAC constitution stressed the effectiveness, transparency and independence of the PACs.