In conformity with Article 74 (2) of the Namibian Constitution, the National Council has established Parliamentary Committees for the exercise of its powers and the performance of its functions. A Committee of the National Council is entitled to conduct hearings and to collect evidence, as it considers necessary for the exercise of its powers of review and investigations.
The most important functions of committees are:
- Scrutiny of legislation – Committees meet to debate legislation under consideration in their respective Houses and offer suggestions improvement.
- Policy development – through legislative review, Committees can provide recommendations for policy options.
- Assessments of policy implementation – Committees review existing legislation and appropriations to determine the effectiveness of existing policy.
- Government supervision – Committees review Government reports and appropriations to ensure accountability.
- Providing a link between Parliament and the Namibian people – Committees hold hearings to collect the views of interested groups and citizens.