Maravi

Goma bemoans low salary scale for public service accountants

Goma bemoans low salary scale for public service accountants
By Mwala Kalaluka
Thursday August 07, 2008 [04:00]

ACCOUNTANT General Mike Goma has said the lowly placement of public service accounting personnel on the salary scale is diluting their professionalism. And Goma said he was having difficulties providing the office of the Auditor General with the accountants that they have requested for from his office. Appearing before the Public Finance Committee (PFC) of the NCC on Tuesday, Goma said the placement of accounting personnel on the same level as administrative officers on the salary strata had de-motivated accountants in the public service.

“We have de-motivated the professionals in government,” Goma said. “Today, they accountants are lumped together within the administrative scale and you can’t distinguish whether these are professionals or not.

That is posing a problem and these accountants are leaving. How can they be at the same level with an administrative officer and you have made it worse in the foreign service.”

Goma said it would be difficult for accounting officers in the foreign mission to advise the diplomats because they were considered mere financial advisors.

“Otherwise we will be submitting these things continuously and nothing much will be done,” he said. “The Accountant General’s office needs to be upgraded if we are to achieve what we have to achieve in the financial circles.”

And Goma said it was not easy for him to mobilise accounting personnel for the Auditor General’s office because he lacked the authority to shift, transfer or promote accountants.

“The Accountant General’s office in the colonial days operated differently than it is now. The movement of accountants was a responsibility of the Accountant General,” he said.

“The Auditor General’s office is looking for six members of staff. For me to give them those members of staff, it is not easy.”

Goma said the Auditor General’s office was in dire need of accounting staff in order to operate effectively.

“That is proving to be a problem. How are they going to give me my reports every month?” Goma asked.

Goma further said he supported suggestions from the members of the committee that the office of the Accountant General be elevated to a constitutional office in the same lines as that of the Auditor General.

He also said the only way to deal with the annual build-ups in the national budget was through the creation of the proposed treasury single account.

“If we do not develop this now, we are not going to manage our financial resources,” said Goma.

Labels: ACCOUNTING, ATTORNEY GENERAL, GOVERNANCE, MIKE GOMA, PFC, TREASURY SINGLE ACCOUNT

posted by MrK @ 7:55 AM