THE Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has demanded that three officers from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock be charged for overpaying a Copperbelt contractor by K65,000 for transportation of farming inputs.
According to the 2012 Auditor General’s report, the contractor, Nkanga Building Contractor, was supposed to have been paid K143, 997.55, but was paid K209, 992.24, an amount approved by Mpongwe District Agriculture Officer (DACO).
Appearing before PAC chaired by MMD Chipangali Member of Parliament Vincent Mwale, Agriculture and Livestock Permanent Secretary Julius Shawa admitted that the contractor was overpaid by K65,000 due to human error during the processing of the payment.
This prompted the Auditor General, Anna Chifungula to question how possible it was that the payment that clearly indicated the actual figure could not have been spotted by three officers, two of whom were senior officials in the ministry.
Mr Mwale also wondered why the officers were not charged but in his response, Mr Shawa told the committee that no action was taken against the officers.
PAC also heard that the ministry contracted five transporters at a cost of K718, 530.89 who were not registered with the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) to deliver farming inputs under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) contrary to the programme guideline.
And in his response Mr Shawa admitted the anomaly but indicated that in some instances the officers wanted to empower local transporters in these areas.
Deputy accountant general, Joe Ukwimi said Government would have to pay tax to ZRA for hiring transporters that were not registered with the authority.
The Auditor General’s report also raised concerns in the ministry including the issuance of farming inputs worth K6, 639. 91 to various cooperatives and farmers that were not supported with relevant documents.
The report also indicated that 11,033 FISP packs worth K2, 717,654.21 were issued to 324 farmers’ groups that did not qualify.
Other irregularities disclosed in the report include the undistributed inputs worth K86, 180 that expired in the store room as of December 2013 and no action was taken to dispose them.
The best way would be to empower the Auditor General’s office with the mandate to prosecute. Taking those audit queries and anomalies to PAC is wasting time! The law enforcing agencies such as the Police and the ACC also take too long to move and act on those issues. I commend PAC through Hon Mwale for the good job they are doing so far in as far as exposing those filthy Civil Servants!!
Why should it take PAC in taking action against these corrupt officers? Is the PS really on top of things? Infact PAC should have recommended to the ministry to charge the PS for incompetence and possibly firing him for not taking action against these officers. I wonder if this PS is really qualified for the job because he should have acted on all these anomalies even before the AG audited his ministry. Shame on him
Bamwiine,spot on !! We know these officers went around and took part of the money.Cry the beloved country!!!
There is total corruption in Mpongwe district in all the ministries, some thing should be done to arrest the situation. Corruption is arsenic which includes controlling Officers like PS, the ACC and the Police should come in and act.
Brother Shawa surprises me by his casual responses. He must have already packed his personal belongings in his office, ready for departure. People have been fired for lesser offences.
Those are Lambas for you. They are like Lozis when it comes to prostitution. You can hammer the mother and dota at the same time
Trying to ignite a tribal debate? Glad everyone has ignored this!!
Joel Mwanza Ukwimi did he regularize his papers at the end of the day?