AUDITOR General Anna Chifungula says there is need for Zambia to employ stiffer action on audit queries produced in her report.
Dr Chifungula says if public resources are to be safeguarded action must be taken on queries raised by the office of the Auditor General.
Speaking during the official closing of the Annual meeting of the INTOSAI working group on public Debt in Livingstone today, Dr Chifungula says Zambia needs to learn from other countries by taking action when audit queries are raised.
“The challenges we are facing in audits is that when audit queries are raised in the auditor general’s report no action is taken to show that misuse of public resources should not be condoned”, she.
Dr Chifungula said the just ended meeting on audit of Public debt will help Zambia manage its external debt sustainably.
The stance Government has taken to make public the resources the country is borrowing will help the office of the auditor general work closely with the ministry of finance in establishing frameworks that will ensure proper utilization of the resources, she said.
And INTOSAI chairman Roberto Salcedo urged the members to be relevant to their cause and help their governments manage its public debt sustainably.
Mr. Salcedo explained that the objective of the INTOSAI working group was to share skills and knowledge on public debt to help audit units from countries world over contribute to the management of public debt.
The annual INTOSAI meeting which closed in Livingstone today will next year hosted by the office of the auditor general China in September.
Meanwhile , Dr Chifungula said the external debts Zambia is serving were low as they still for below the international threshold of 60 percent.
She said Zambia’s public debts were at 20 percent she said which below the maximum international threshold of 60% a country like Zambia is allowed to borrow.
“We do have the capacity as a country to service the debts that we have so far, as statistics show that Zambia’s debt is below the international threshold of 60 percent because the ratio of the gross debt to GDP must not exceed 60 percent of the country financial of the next fiscal year, and Zambia is far from reaching that international threshold”, she said.
She said every country which needs to develop depends on external debt to successfully implement various developmental projects.
“Countries like Finland have higher debts than Zambia but its economy has continued to thrive, which is an indication that acquiring public debt is essential for development”, she said.
She commended Government for the direction it has taken towards utilization of acquired external debt on infrastructure development because developed countries like China were also doing the same.
Dr Chifungula says with continued interactions, sharing experiences on public debt management, Zambia will manage to its public debt sustainably.
She however pledged to work closely with other audit units of the INTOSAI member countries to devise various strategies the country can audit and manage public debt sustainably.
…year in year out AGs reports always have what seem to be serious ‘queries’…but non of the PS or his subordinates end up in prison – the ultimate action needed….the report is always successfully challenged by the would be offenders….which means as alarming the report would be..its usually very weak with a lot of loopholes for would be offenders to slip through…if you want to catch fish especially big fish…use appropriate tough stainless steel material and not ordinary cotton..or grass…which the report seem to be made of…..and with relatively smaller size of mesh…..we only witness shuffling of the PS..or getting fired…no prison sentences at all….
The Office of the AG has been quiet for so long amidst rampant & vivid corruption/misapplication/misappropriation of public funds/resources during this pathetic PF regime-WHY?
Who does the Auditor general report to or does she make wild statements which are left to anyone to react to?
Like I wrote earlier, the reports come very late as if there are NO internal auditors in the places in question. Secondly, our justice system is TOO slow, and only good for lawyers who apply and are allowed so cases can drag on and on. By the time the cases are taken to court, the culprit would have had enough time to dispose of the loot.
Knowingly that corruption/ theft is rampant in the places where Ann Chifungula has highlighted many times, lets make auditing current not history. The punishment for those that steel government money should be stiff enough so much that the culprit can not enjoy the stolen money. Take a leaf from Botswana justice system.
I thought the internationally threshold for dept was 40% of GDP or did I read wrong
MADAM AUDITOR GENERAL YOUR OFFICE IS CORRUPT. YOUR RELATIVES IN THAT OFFICES GET MONEY FROM CLIENTS AND YOU SHIELD THEM. THOSE THAT SEEM NOT TO HAVE BACKING YOU FIRE THEM . IF THERE IS YOUR RELATIVE IN YOUR GROUP YOU ASK THEM TO PAY BAK A PERCENTAGE. START WITH YOUR OFFICE OR KEEP QUIET TILL YOU RETIRE IN DECEMBER. YOU LIGHT THE LIMELIGHT AND YET NOTHING HAPPENS SCANDALOUS OFFICE. ACTUALLY THAT OFFICE REQUIRES OVERHAUL. NEPOTISM IN THE SYSTEM OF YOUR OFFICE.
AS LONG AS AUDIT REPORTS ARE TARGETED AT POLITICIANS, THEY WILL NEVER SUPPORT A LAW WHICH WILL LEAD TO THEIR BEING JAILED.
POLITICIANS NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO OTHER PUBLIC SERVANTS AS THE ABUSE IS ALSO BIG AT THAT LEVEL PS S DIRECTORS AND CEO S.
THIS IS LONG OVERDUE. LET PAC BEC OME A COURT AND WHEN PUBLIC SERVANTS ARE FOUND WANTING THEY ARE SENT STRAIGHT TO JAIL.