Maravi

PAC rebukes foreign affairs ministry for diverting K1.2bn

PAC rebukes foreign affairs ministry for diverting K1.2bn
By Florence Bupe and Bright Mukwasa
Wed 23 Mar. 2011, 04:00 CAT

THE Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has castigated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for obtaining over K1.2 billion to rehabilitate a structure that did not have title deeds and has since been repossessed by the government of Mozambique.

This was when foreign affairs permanent secretary Ambassador Lucy Mungoma appeared before the committee to respond to queries raised in the 2009 Auditor General’s Report.

According to the report, the foreign affairs ministry remitted to the Zambian mission in Maputo a total of K1,292,158,938 in 2007 and 2008 for the rehabilitation of the building, which was given to Zambia as a political gift in 1975 by the late President of Mozambique, Samora Machel.

Committee member Emmanuel Munaile wondered how the mission in Maputo continued to receive funds for the rehabilitation of the building but instead, channeled the money to the renovation of the mission’s official residence.

Munaile said it was wrong for the mission to ask for funds from government for a particular project and later divert those funds to another project which is not catered for in the budget.

But Ambassador Mungoma defended the misapplication of funds, saying the ministry was hopeful that title deeds would be given to the Zambian government in due course.

“I wish to report that the nine storey building has been repossessed by the host government. The funds meant for this building are being channeled towards renovations of the official residence,” said Ambassador Mungoma.

And the committee directed the ministry to clarify which laws apply for contracts entered into by the Zambian government through its foreign missions and foreign contractors.

Committee chairperson Emmanuel Hachipuka said this was meant to address the confusion that had arisen in some missions where laws were in conflict with the Zambian system.

Hachipuka further warned the ministry not to enter into contracts without clearly specifying the quality of works required in order to avert the wastage of public resources.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs faced a lot of other queries including unretired imprest in its various missions abroad, inadequate supporting documents for various transactions and accounting irregularities.

Labels: CORRUPTION, EMMANUEL MUNAILE, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, PAC

posted by MrK @ 4:43 AM