Thursday, April 18, 2024

PAC saddened by under-utilization of 2007 budget

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The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says it is a scandal for government to fail to utilize about K900 billion allocated for various development programmes in the 2007 national budget.

PAC chairman Charles Milupi stated that the K900 billion under expenditure indicates a 10 percent of locally generated resources which were supposed to be utilised on capital expenditure.

“ There is nothing to be proud about that as a country, we have under spent, in general terms it means budgetary performance has not been achieved. It means developmental projects have not been undertaken,’ he said.

Mr. Milupi, who is also Luena Member of Parliament said government needs to revisit the system and identify the causes for failure to implement the budget by government ministries.

Secretary to the Treasury Evans Chibiliti, a week ago, disclosed that as at December 31, government had about K900 billion which has not been spent in the Central bank and Commercial banks.

He said government as a measure to speed up the execution of the budget allowed controlling officers in various ministries to commence tender procedures for some of the projects to be undertaken this year.

Presenting a paper on the holding Government Accountable, the role of PAC, during a Auditor General media workshop, Mr. Milupi has since recommended that the Nation budget be presented and approved in the last quarter of each year in order for government to have a full year to implement it.

He added that such a move would limit unconstitutional expenditures which have been undertaken in the past in order to avoid approval be parliament.

He further added that the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) should consider allowing capital expenditure resources to be separated from current expenditure.

Mr. Milupi added that external resources such as loans should go towards capital expenditure.

6 COMMENTS

  1. Milupi is odd one standing, Please continue this way. This is what a well cultured and educated man should be. When you have knowledge use it to enlighten your country. i wont have to mention names we know which educated Zambians have used their knowledge from stealing from the populace and the weak.

  2. If our government cannot fulfill their budgets, how will its will citizenly budget whose projects and income is dependent upon these cramzy budgetory projections. Well, take a breath we need to have accurate target with strong minded people, additionally goal getters.

    You can surely do better than you guys sitting on the monetary documents.

  3. Well my comment is full of noise, but the point is lets process the documents and make sure the money is channeled for the right budgets and at the right time. Its that underspending is just as bad as overspending.

    Got it! yes kind of.

  4. Why do bloggers hear avoid commenting on topics in economics? It would be nice to read what heavy weights of this site like Pragmast, Citizen, Easy, Pundit, Muntuza, Chapi and others have to say on matters that are economical in every sense. Avoiding these topics is characteristic of a country devoid of thinkers in economics. That’s why people are bent on supporting politicians without a clue on how to drive Zed out of economic destitution.

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