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Don’t to be complacent when payment vouchers go missing – Hachipuka

Don’t to be complacent when payment vouchers go missing – Hachipuka
By Namatama Mundia
Fri 16 Apr. 2010, 03:30 CAT

PARLIAMENTARY public accounts committee (PAC) chairperson Emmanuel Hachipuka has advised controlling officers not to be complacent when payment vouchers go missing in the government ministries.

Hachipuka, who is UPND Mbabala member of parliament, expressed concern when local government and housing permanent secretary Timothy Hakuyu submitted to PAC that 45 vouchers totaling about K1.3 billion had been found out of a total of 68 payment vouchers amounting to K1.7 billion which were missing at the ministry.

Hakuyu was giving a report on the 2008 audit queries on unvouched expenditure and others. Hachipuka said misplacement of vouchers was not a good thought.

“Reorganise yourselves to see that such irregularities don’t recur,” he said.
However, Hakuyu told the committee that the missing payment vouchers were as a result of misfiling, which the ministry had now reorganised so that in future payment vouchers do not go missing at any time.

“The ministry wishes to report further that they maintain a register for accountable documents and assign a filing clerk to be responsible for filing. The tracing of the remaining payment vouchers is ongoing and the committee will be informed on the progress on this matter,” Hakuyu said.

A member of the committee representing the Auditor General’s office said it was suspicious when payment vouchers went missing.

And Hachipuka wondered why Lundazi market had not yet been rehabilitated despite the council receiving K80 million from the local government ministry in 2008 as of September 2009.

He noted that such delay in keeping money without using it for intended purposes was what led to misapplication of funds.

On the rehabilitations of markets in Kasenengwa and Chipangali in Chipata, Hakuyu said K74 million had so far been spent as at April 2009 from a total of K90 million.

Hakuyu also told the committee that his ministry had written to Chama District Council asking them to provide expenditure details for the K12 million cash withdrawal, which was made during February 2008 to May 2009.

Labels: CORRUPTION, EMMANUEL HACHIPUKA, PAC, TIMOTHY HAKUYU

posted by MrK @ 1:52 PM