Thursday, March 28, 2024

Ministry of works and Supply reverts to centralized issuance of fuel

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The Ministry of Works and Supply says it has reverted to the centralized issuance of fuel to its departments in order to enhance accountability.

Works and Supply Permanent Secretary Col. Bizyayo Nkunika says the decentralized issuance of fuel by various departments has brought a lot of accountability problems.

The Ps made the remarks when he appeared before the Parliamentary Watch committee, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chaired by Luena Mp Charles Milupi, to answer queries contained in the Auditor Generals’ Report for the year ended 2006..

The Report indicates that fuel costing about K972 million involving 46 transactions purchased from various stations was not reconciled with invoices and statements from suppliers.

Col. Nkunika told the committee that the ministry would now control the issuance of fuel for all its departments.

He also told the committee that the ministry has started deducting money from officers that failed to retire imprest so as to recover the money.

He said in order to encourage officers to retire imprest, the ministry has stopped giving imprest to officers that are owing the ministry unretired imprest.

Committee members of parliament raised concern over the continued reports of unretired imprest in almost all government ministries.

Mbabala Mp Emmanuel Hachipuka stated that the measure taken by the ministry if implemented by all government ministries would bring government to a halt as officers would fail to execute their duties.

Committee Chairman Mr. Milupi observed that lack of enforcement of the law has contributed to the issues being raised in the Auditor General’s report.

He wondered why the ministry was failing to enforce the provisions contained in the financial regulations , which he said would have helped in reducing cases of unretired imprest by officers.

Earlier ,The Permanent Secretary disclosed that lack of qualified accountants at provincial levels has contributed to the failure by the officers submitting returns to the ministry.

He said the ministry has started a process of recruting qualified officers that will be sent to the provinces .

He also stated that the ministry has assigned an assistant accountant to government as a corrective measure of delayed banking reported in the report.

Col Nkunika also said the ministry has instituted investigation to ascertain how the 19 general receipt books were destroyed by water.

The AG’s report indicate that 19 receipt books were destroyed by water when the offices were flooded ,thereby making it difficult to establish the total collections from the receipt books.

But Ministry Chief Accountant, Dick Chela said the ministry would ascertain the total revenue using the cash books although he stated the process would take a long time to complete.

Mr. Milupi however advised the Chief Accountant to ensure the ministry adheres to the financial regulations so as to reduce on some of the queries raised in the report.

He further advised the ministry’s Controlling officer to use the window period for responding to queries from the AG ‘s office to clear issues that need clarifications.

5 COMMENTS

  1. When r we Zambians goin stop stealin public monies?
    We still complain that economic growth z not reaching the ordinary man & yet given a small opportunity to handle something of monetaryy value yayaya nikafwafwa

  2. I need the whole country needs to go back to school for a year to learn honesty as a way of life. We jump at any simple opportunity to steal..It’s sickening.

  3. From an Auditors point of view we have what we call Incomplete records , so please stop the fuss that the invoices were dumped in water. we always have a way of finding the whole truth……..shame on you Chief Accountant

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