Maravi

Stop abusing funds, Pande tells heads of mission

Stop abusing funds, Pande tells heads of mission
By Bright Mukwasa
Wed 13 Apr. 2011, 04:01 CAT

KABINGA Pande says Zambia’s foreign missions continue to be sources of abuse of funds as cited by the numerous queries by the Auditor General’s report. Pande, who is also Foreign affairs minister, called on heads of mission abroad to stop the abuse of funds.

“You may wish to recall that in the last financial year starting 2009, the ministry pledged to ensure that it has zero-audit queries. I wish to thank most of the missions that did their best to ensure this is adhered to. However, a few missions still had some audit queries,” Pande said this during the opening of the 2011 heads of mission and senior management conference on Monday in Chisamba.

“Like I have said before, most of these audit queries are issues that could easily be avoided. This is possible by ensuring that the head of mission takes their leadership role as expected. I don’t think this is a difficult task. We can do it and let us do it at all times,” he said.

He also said while it was important to take note of the ongoing review of partnerships by the African Union, it was equally vital to reflect on Zambia’s contribution to peace and security in the SADC region and on the Great Lakes Region.

Pande said Zambia had strengthened strategic bilateral partnerships with Malaysia and Turkey including renewed interests from United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Australia.

The conference is being held under the theme; effective diplomacy for sustainable national development.

Among the anomalies in the foreign missions include a query recently by the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) who 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.

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.

But Ambassador Lucy Mungoma, who is foreign affairs permanent secretary, defended the misapplication of funds saying the ministry was hopeful that title deeds would be given to the Zambian government in due course.

Labels: AUDITOR GENERAL, KABINGA PANDE

posted by MrK @ 4:58 AM