Maravi

Accountant General's role is misaligned, says Mutati

Accountant General's role is misaligned, says Mutati
By Mwala Kalaluka
Wednesday August 06, 2008 [04:00]

COMMERCE minister Felix Mutati yesterday said the misalignment of the Office of the Accountant General (AG) in the public finance management protocol has created a fertile ground for financial abuse. Commenting on Accountant General Mike Goma's complaints, during a presentation to the Public Finance Committee of the National Constitutional Conference (NCC), that he was relegated to a bookkeeper of public finances, Mutati said the status quo was an anomaly that required correction.

Mutati observed that despite the office of the Accountant General having the mandate to handle the entire national budget, it could not enforce anything legally because it was subordinate to a permanent secretary given the current structural arrangement where the Accountant General is at a level of a director.

"We have misaligned the responsibility protocol, because what we have created is a jungle and that jungle is fertile ground for abuse," he said.

Mutati explained that the importance of the Accountant General's office had been underestimated because it was not even part of the management meetings that take place at the Ministry of Finance.

"How does he coordinate that which he does not participate in? That is an anomaly," Mutati said. "We have an Accountant General who is basically impotent. The whole issue of cash management is outside him."

Mutati said the office in question would be very helpful in the implementation of the proposed Treasury Single Account in the public financial sector.

In his submission to the committee, Goma said while the public finance Act, No. 15 of 2005 clearly stipulated his roles and functions’ the reality in practice was a contravention of the law.

Responding to a concern from Wamulume Kalabo, as to why he was failing to executive his duties in line with what was outlined in the Act, Goma said he was operating under 'internal' arrangements.

Labels: ATTORNEY GENERAL, FELIX MUTATI, NCC

posted by MrK @ 4:41 AM