Maravi

'Lupando incurred unconstitutional expenditure amounting to K10bn'

'Lupando incurred unconstitutional expenditure amounting to K10bn'
By Mwala Kalaluka
Wednesday August 13, 2008 [04:00]

THE Parliamentary Committee on Estimates on Monday expressed shock at revelations that former vice-president Lupando Mwape incurred unconstitutional expenditure amounting to K10 billion from his ‘extraordinary’ travels during campaigns for the 2006 general elections. And State House incurred unconstitutional expenditure amounting to K553 million in 2006 as a result of payments towards unforeseeable events that required attention.

Explaining the Office of the Vice-President’s (OVP) supplementary expenditure for the year ended December 31, 2006, OVP permanent secretary for administration Austin Sichinga said the K10,563, 525,456.00 was realised because President Levy Mwanawasa had delegated part of his job to Mwape.

“You will recall that this was a year of an election. The President dissolved the government, the parliament and Cabinet as well, except for the Office of the Vice-President and the President’s Office,” Sichinga said.

“This created an extraordinary travel movements for his Honour.”

Sichinga explained that the election also culminated into the appointment of a new vice-president.

“I had, therefore, to prepare the office and Government House for the new Vice-President. These extraordinary activities exceeded our budget projection and, therefore, I had to ask for supplementary budget,” Sichinga justified.

He said the Parliamentary Business Department of the OVP incurred unconstitutional expenditure of K28,319,028.00 in the year under review because of an increase in the number of Action Taken reports that needed to be submitted. Sichinga said the number of parliamentary committees had increased from nine to 21 and consequently the reports to the committee had become bulky.

He further said that the drought experienced in most parts of the country in 2005 and 2006 caused the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) to overspend by K3 billion.

But Lukulu East ULP member of parliament Batuke Imenda said it was surprising that the vice-president, who was supposed to defend his own constituency, had to incur such a huge amount of supplementary expenditure during an election year.

Bwacha MMD member of parliament Reverend Gladys Nyirongo asked Sichinga to explain what he meant by ‘extraordinary travel movements.’

Rev Nyirongo said during the time the amount was incurred, President Mwanawasa’s health was not okay and he had been advised to tone down on his travels.

“If you look at the expenditure of the President on these elections, it is only K3 billion. But here is the Office of the Vice-President going into K10 billion!” she wondered. “It is completely unbelievable for the Office of the Vice-President to gobble K10 billion just on political campaigns and on disaster management.”

Lusaka Central PF member of parliament Guy Scott said it was shocking that about US $3 million worth of extraordinary expenditure was awarded to one man to go round the country campaigning for his party.

Luampa UPND member of parliament Josephine Limata said the amount was extraordinarily huge more so that former vice-president Mwape was a candidate like any other.

In response, Sichinga said the OVP did not have to ask for funds from the Office of the President in a situation where the Vice-President has been asked to do a delegated job by the President.

Committee chairman Godfrey Beene asked Sichinga to explain to what extent he as controlling officer could put his foot down before any unconstitutional expenditure was authorised.

“If we make a precedent of approving K10 billion, next time we might approve more than this at the expense of taxpayers,” Beene said. “We should not be taking advantage of situations.”

However, Sichinga said whilst his job was to ensure prudent use of public resources, the issue under discussion was a constitutional one. He said the Vice-President’s trips were usually expensive in view of the high number of people involved.

“You can’t go to the President and say Mr. President I can’t pay this because it is political,” Sichinga said.

He promised to break down the K10 billion for the committee after asking it to help controlling officers avoid such situations in future.

And State House principal private secretary Alfred Chipoya told the committee that K28, 567, 500.00 was the supplementary expenditure incurred by State House on the purposes of de-worming and treatment of wild animals at State House following the outbreak of tick-borne disease. He said K50 million was the unconstitutional expenditure incurred on payments for settling-in-allowances for officers who were appointed in the civil service after the restructuring of State House.

Chipoya also said K25 million was incurred as supplementary expenditure following the connection of State House to Zamnet and for line rentals. He disclosed that K450 million was the excess expenditure on transport management.

“The sum of K300 million incurred was a result of a general increase in fuel prices through out the country,” Chipoya said.

“And the sum of K150 million was incurred on insurance premiums for escort vehicles and motor cycles which were procured for State House (special duties) by Ministry of Works and Supply; this was not in our initial budget.”

Meanwhile, permanent secretary for administration at Cabinet Office, Mubita Kalabo, was turned away by the committee after it was realised that the figures in his memorandum and those in the Supplementary Appropriation (2006) Bill, 2008 were not corresponding.

Labels: BATUKE IMENDA, GLADYS NYIRONGO, LUPANDO MWAPE, PARLIAMENTARY ESTIMATES COMMITTEE

posted by MrK @ 4:41 AM