Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee Chairperson Warren Mwambazi has asked newly appointed Permanent Secretaries to strictly adhere to guidelines on the administering of public funds.
Permanent Secretaries are currently in Lusaka undergoing orientation on procurement alongside Ministers.
Mr. Mwambazi, the Ndola’s Bwana Mkubwa Member of Parliament, said Permanent Secretaries must strive to operate within their mandate.
He further welcomed the appointment of new Permanent Secretaries in Ministries and Provinces.
“As Public Accounts Committee we welcome the appointment of new controlling officers. I think it is also very important that they are properly oriented on their duties as controlling officers so that they adhere to the stipulated guidelines in terms of administering of public funds,” Mr. Mwambazi said.
The lawmaker noted that Permanent Secretaries as controlling officers in Ministries and Provinces are key in reducing queries in the Auditor General’s Report.
Unplanned procurement, awarding contracts to bidders who do not have the capacity to deliver, failure to obtain clearance from the Auditor General’s Office, and signing of contracts by unauthorized persons are among regular queries in the Auditor General’s Report.
“In order to also reduce queries in the auditor general report as well as quick implementation of Government programmes and projects because we had seen for a long period all people have been acting except for a few substantive controlling officers.”
Mr. Mwambazi added:”If you look at the controlling officers, those are the CEO’s of the Ministries and I think everything will start moving as a Government because there was a missing link. There were Ministers but there were no controlling officers.”
Tmely advice!
And when they do not abide by the rules – they get fired and someone cries tribalism.
They colluded from the Top most to the lowest in as far as procurement of services and goods was concerned no wonder they have been pushing for early appointment of permanent Secretaries they thought their preferred Directors and Deputies were going to be appointed so that they continue with their habits of heavily helping themselves to govt funds. HH has done well to hold a seminar for Ministers and controlling officers so they know does and don’ts. No govt department was spared from abuse of public resources.
Accountability is the issue. What happens to controlling offices found wanting. What do Zambian laws say about all those stealing public resources? Make punitive laws and the stealing will stop.
Bwana Mkubwa MP is not Jonas Chanda?
What de fvck went wrong in PF? The “better PF” all lost erections, but the most useless won. such idyots like Sunday Chanda, Munio Zulu, Jay Jay, Kampyongo, Lusambo…. PF is indeed a party ya fipuba.
This time when found wanting they shouldn’t be just fired or transferred but taken to prison.