The Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants says the 12 accountants who were recently dismissed by government for their involvement in the misappropriation of public funds as spelled out in the Public Financial Management Act, 2018 may not be readmitted into the profession due to their reported misconduct.
Government through the Civil Service Commission recently dismissed twelve accounting and one operations staff who were involved in misappropriation of public funds as spelt out in the Public Financial Management Act, 2018.
The dismissed officials from the accounting cadre are from the Ministry of General Education, Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Lusaka Provincial Administration.
And investigations instituted by ZICA revealed that the said 12 accounting cadre that were dismissed were members who were not in good standing with the provisions of Section 2 of the Accountants Act of 2008, which requires all accountants to be registered under the Act.
ZICA Chief Executive Officer Hapenga Kabeta said the 12 accountants working for Government and not in good standing violated Section 18.1 of the Accountants Act for holding out or impersonating an accountant.
Mr. Kabeta said under the Accountants Act, it is unlawful for any private sector or public sector organisation including government departments to employ accountants not in good standing with the Act.
Mr. Kabeta has urged all employers in the country be it in private or public sector organisations to employ only accountants in good standing with the Accountants Act.
He has also appealed to all individuals who are working as accounting personnel or studying for an accountancy qualification to register with the Institute and uphold professional ethics as enshrined in the Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants, which were adopted by ZICA for its members in Zambia.
Mr. Kabeta added that the profession is mindful of the need for the members of the Institute to be accountable for
their decisions and actions.
“We are however concerned that the internal control systems over which the relevant Controlling Officers have oversight, did not highlight these wrongful acts taking place in their Ministries”, He said.
Ba ZICA, how many of unregistered, unqualified and illegal Accountants across the country are in fact supervising your own registered and qualified Accountants? We have brown whistles, sung songs over these illegal Accountants but to no avail.
The Act you are quoting is only on paper with no enforcement. How much money were you going to raise from Accountants all over the country if you were serious about the act? How many illegal Accountants have you penalized yourselves apart from just commenting on those who have already been caught by others?
Some of my colleagues have even opted to stop subscribing to ZICA because of mockery from unregistered Accountants who feel you are not serious with your ACT. Lets be serious.
Please put a trail on them to report them if anyone employs them. People who commit crime must not be seen even to address rallies. They deserve to share rooms at Mukobeko, that is the only way thieves will learn a lesson.
Hahaha but it’s okay to put a disbarred lawyer as a president. Please people be constant
I would like to see ZICA identify unregistered Accountants and take a legal action against them and their employers, let the entire process be in cameras and public media. End the episode with serious fines and warning and let all this be in the press. Are you telling me Employers will still entertain illegal Accountants?
But alas..years have rolled since i started hearing about this Accountant act.
wait for the law to take its course rather than judge the twelve accountants as guilty……….Innocent until proven guilty is a constitutional provision above the Accountant Act………….
Was it illigal for pf to employ lungu when he had his law licence taken away and debarred by LAZ for defrauding a widow ????
The problem of this government is corruption.they want amass wealth as if they won’t die.ba Lungu leave good legacy for the Zambian pipo.God will never forgive for destroying resourses.Africa should not be a dumping grounds.White and chinese friends laugh at us coz of corruption.ZRA officials are busy getting cuts for allowing illigal edible oils.Pipo who PAYE are suffering.wake up ba mudala let not corruption destoy this country.Money won’t be enough.Let us create eniroment so that even rich earopeans would love to live.Its so sad that when we still we wanna go n live in Europe.African leaders wake up ubukopo bwacila.don’t let the children suffer.animals are also being lifted by criminals.What are u leaving for poor zambians.Think bamudala its time to leave a good legacy.Its not too…
The problem of this government is corruption.they want to amass wealth as if they won’t die.ba Lungu leave good legacy for the Zambian pipo.God will never forgive us for destroying resourses. Africa should not be a dumping grounds.White and chinese friends laugh at us coz of corruption.ZRA officials are busy getting cuts for allowing illigal edible oils.Pipo who pay PAYE are suffering coz they are taxed heavily.wake up ba mudala let not corruption destoy this country.Money won’t be enough.Let us create environment so that even rich Europeans would love to live in.Its so sad that when we steal we wanna go n live in Europe.African leaders wake up ubukopo bwacila.don’t let the children suffer.animals are also being lifted by criminals.What are u leaving for poor zambians.Think bamudala its…
Toothless body.
There accountants don’t need employment. With the stolen money they will start their own accounting firm.