
GOVERNMENT has constituted a four-man team to audit the Lusaka, Ndola and Kitwe city councils.The audit will cover revenues, utilisation of rates, levies and Government grants for the period January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2009.
This follows President Banda’s directive to audit Lusaka, Ndola and Kitwe city councils to establish how the councils utilised public funds.
According to a letter obtained by the Zambia Daily Mail in Ndola yesterday, Minister of Local Government and Housing, Eustarckio Kazonga said the audit team will prepare an audit report and recommend its findings to his office.
He said the findings will be copied to the Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe city councils and relevant provincial local government officers.
Mr Kazonga said the terms of reference for the audit team include verification of approved budget provisions for rates and levies in the three councils for the 2008/2009 financial year.
He said the team will also verify the actual billing of rates to residential, commercial and industrial property owners.
Mr Kazonga also said the audit team will collect schedules for the various grants from the Ministry of Local Government and Housing which Government disbursed to the councils.
Mr Kazonga further said the audit team will conduct physical verification of sites to check on whether service delivery, infrastructure development and maintenance financed from rates and levies are benefiting residents.
He said the team will capture payments made from rates and levies which are contrary to provisions of the local authorities regulations number 125 of 1992.
And Copperbelt Province local government officer Solomon Sakala said in an interview in Ndola yesterday that auditing of the councils will start on Friday.
[Zambia Daily Mail]