Unretired imprest should be criminal offence - AG
By Moses Kuwema, Maluba Jere and Namatama Mundia
Wed 14 Mar. 2012, 11:59 CAT
AUDITOR General Anna Chifungula says there is need to make unretiring of imprest a criminal offence so that culprits can be prosecuted. And the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday heard that the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry had recovered from former deputy minister Dr Lwipa Puma's gratuity K11 million for fuel that was drawn for his personal-to-holder vehicle.
Speaking to journalists after the PAC hearings, Chifungula said the issue of unretired imprest should be treated as criminal.
"We should treat this imprest issue criminal because right now, as you heard the explanation, all they can do is recover and I am sure even the people that get those imprest, they know that all that will happen to me is recovery, which may not even happen because you are looking at very large amounts, which some people get," Chifungula said.
She said there had been an increase in outstanding imprest, saying in 2009 the figure stood at K21 billion but that in the 2010 audit report, it trebled to K77 billion.
"I think that shows that the actions that have been taken so far are too lax to make anyone fear to have that kind of imprest retired," she said.
Appearing before the PAC, commerce permanent secretary Stephen Mwansa said the fuel that was drawn from the general pool by the vehicle registration number GRZ 812 BX belonging to Dr Puma amounting to K11,213,028 has since been recovered from his gratuity which was paid on cheque number 01337 dated November 17, 2011.
He said Dr Puma was entitled to fuel allowance for his utility vehicle, but went on to draw fuel from the general pool for his personal-to-holder vehicle.
Mwansa said despite being informed about the irregularity, Dr Puma put pressure on the officers that he was a deputy minister.
Meanwhile, the committee members expressed concern at the issue of unretired imprest which kept re-occurring every year.
But Mwansa said outstanding unretired imprest amounting to K103,987,450 has since been retired and was available for the committee's verification.
PAC chairperson, Chipangali member of parliament Vincent Mwale, then wondered why the ministry had to wait for the Auditor General's office to visit them before they could recover the monies.
Mwansa then responded: "I will be at your mercy if this occurs again. I sit here begging your indulgence, I do accept that mistakes were made and I apologise on behalf of the ministry."
He said the ministry had taken measures to ensure that they do not appear before the committee talking about imprest.
Meanwhile, about 80 Judiciary workers have not retired imprest amounting to K290 million.
This is according to an internal memo from the Judiciary chief accountant Godwin Sakwimba to all members of staff.
The memo stated that the money was used for various activities by the workers whilst carrying out official duties.
The memo stated that about 80 members of staff among them magistrates, were required to retire the outstanding imprest by March 20, 2012.
Sakwimba warned that he would recommend to the chief administrator the recovery of the same through the payroll for those who will fail to comply with the directive.
Some of the unretired imprest relates to court witness fees, cause listing, court sessions in different towns, reporting to new station staff that have been transferred, refreshments ad election petition fees, among many others.
Labels: ANNA CHIFUNGULA, ATTORNEY GENERAL, CORRUPTION, LWIPI PUMA
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Access to capital a barrier to SME growth - Puma
By Gift Chanda
Thu 14 July 2011, 14:00 CAT
COMMERCE deputy minister Lwipa Puma says access to capital has remained a significant barrier to the growth of the SME sector in Zambia. During the launch of the MPH Chartered Accountants, Dr Puma admitted that small scale-entrepreneurs (SMEs) were facing challenges in accessing finance.
He further said the lack of accountability, strategic direction and good governance practices by SMEs had also contributed to the sector’s slow growth.
Dr Puma said the government had resolved to promote partnership with other countries through platforms such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) as a way of cushioning the challenges.
“Access to capital is a significant barrier to the growth of the sector. However, the accountability, strategic direction and governance practices of the SMEs remain serious impediments to its development,” Dr Puma said.
He said the launch of MPH Charted Accountants, a firm specifically aimed at providing audits, accounting, tax and consultancy services to SMEs, was a key step towards the growth of the sector.
Dr Puma said the firm would provide SMEs a gateway to access institutional finance, mentorship, accountability to their stakeholders and an expansion of the tax base.
Earlier, MPH Charted Accountants managing partner Hastings Mtine said the firm would assist in improving accountability in the SMEs sector.
He said currently, there are concerns on SMEs’ contribution toward the treasury.
Mtine said the company would start its operations with two branches in Lusaka and Kitwe.
Labels: AGOA, LWIPI PUMA, SMEs
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Puma urges sustainable regulation of marketing
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
Mon 08 Nov. 2010, 04:00 CAT
REGULATION mechanisms need to be put in place for marketing to be sustainable, commerce deputy minister Lwipa Puma has observed.
During the award presentation gala dinner for Zambia Institute of Marketing (ZIM) at the Zambezi Sun Hotel on Saturday, Dr Puma said ZIM had continued for many years to encourage rigor, passion and excellence in what he termed “a noble profession of marketing through awarding excellence”.
“Marketing being a highly dynamic and fragile profession in terms of ethics, passion and professionalism, highly contemporary and inspirational, regulation mechanism needs to be in put place for the profession to be sustainable, and one such mechanism is awarding excellence,” he said.
Dr Lwipa said one of the best ways of ensuring sovereignty and integrity in the marketing profession was by awards as this brought sanctity and admiration by others within the domains of the profession.
He added that Zambia was poised for greater economic future following the bold and strong economic policies pursued by the MMD government over the past years.
“With inflation hitting the lowest of just over seven per cent in the month of October, the lowest ever for the country, it simply means that the country is having a turn around and repositioning itself in the sub-Sahara African region as both an investment and tourism destination worth for consideration by global prospects,” said Dr Lwipa.
The best marketing sponsorship excellence award of the year went to National Milling while the best customer service organisation of the year was scooped by Zain Zambia, beating Post Newspapers into second place with MultiChioce getting the third slot.
The best marketing student of the year went to CBU’s Ngambo Lizebete as Hellen Ng’andu of Muvi TV beat Maria Banda of NECOR Zambia for the emerging marketer of the year while Mwabashike Nkulukusa walked away with the award of the marketing personality of the year. Others are Agatha Sibalwa and Mofu Mukuka who shared the best marketing students award of the year.
The best brand marketing campaign of the year was ‘No matter who you are, we listen’ by Zanaco. Mazhyandu Family Bus Services scooped the best SME organisation of the year, beating Muvi TV, while the best public service delivery organisation award went to Zesco as Standard Chartered Bank walked away with the best product launch award in priority banking.
Labels: LWIPI PUMA, MARKETING, ZAMBIA INSTITUTE OF MARKETING
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MMD Bulaya councillor resigns to join UPND
By Mwila Chansa in Kitwe
Wed 03 Mar. 2010, 03:20 CAT
MMD Bulaya Ward councillor Mwansa Kunda has resigned from the ruling party to join the UPND. In an interview after his release on bail from Kamfinsa State Prison where he was remanded for two weeks, Kunda advised Lufwanyama member of parliament Dr Lwipa Puma to
learn to appreciate those that put him where he is.
Kunda was remanded after
the immigration department arrested him on grounds that he was a Congolese national who stayed in Zambia illegally.
He recently appeared in the Kitwe magistrates’ court and pleaded not guilty to one count of unlawful stay in Zambia contrary to section 23 (3) of the immigration and deportation Act Cap 123 of the Laws of Zambia as read with section 30(1) of Act number 25 of 1997.
Kunda was granted a K2 million cash bail with two working sureties but bail conditions were only met yesterday.
“I can’t say much. I campaigned very hard for Dr Puma and I don’t deserve to be treated in this manner… I can’t say much. I have resigned from MMD and joined UPND. Even my family can’t allow me to continue being in MMD,” he said.
“You can’t take someone to prison. Taking someone to prison is as good as killing him.”
Kunda declared that he would re-contest the Bulaya ward seat on the UPND ticket and rated his chances of scooping it as high.
He said MMD’s chances of retaining the ward were very slim adding that: “If a crocodile tells you that the hippo is sick, you’ve got to believe it because the crocodile lives in water together with the hippo.”
He complained that his stay in prison was not easy especially that he left his family suffering.
“Kwali ukusampa ifyakulya nokusumwa ne nda (We were scrambling for food and being bitten by lice – in Kamfinsa prison),” Kunda added.
He said no MMD member visited him for the period he was in prison.
He charged that Dr Puma was not a good leader because he always kept grudges.
Kunda said whenever Dr Puma was advised about something during council meetings, he always took it personal.
Meanwhile, Kunda urged other politicians to be brave and brace themselves for political persecutions.
And Kunda’s wife, Mirriam, supported her husband.
And UPND Lufwanyama District chairman Justin Mwalikwa welcomed Mwansa’s resignation from MMD and pledged to support him.
Labels: LWIPI PUMA, MMD, MWANSA KUNDA, POLITICS, UPND, XENOPHOBIA
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Donor funds must be properly utilised, advises EU envoy
By Henry Sinyangwe
Wed 17 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT
DONOR funding must be properly utilised by beneficiaries so that there is sustainable development, European Union (EU) head of co-operation Eric Beaume has said.
Addressing Palabana dairy small-scale co-operative farmers in Chongwe who had successfully completed a capacity building course sponsored by EU through the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry yesterday, Beaume urged the beneficiaries of donor funding to utilise it effectively so as to eradicate poverty.
“I know it is just donor fund but it is important to make good use of it,” Beaume said.
And Livestock Development Trust (LDT) chairperson Dr Drinah Nyirenda said her organisation had a tender to train Palabana dairy stock farmers and they had successfully conducted two training sessions in dairy production and pasture development.
She said LDT had managed to train 42 farmers out of the targeted 75.
“The Trust won a tender to train dairy farmers who are members of the Palabana dairy co-operative,” Dr Nyirenda said. “We have so far trained 42 farmers and all the beneficiaries were chosen by the co-operative.”
LDT was established in 1999 with the mission of attaining profitable livestock-led farming systems that improve productivity and add value to production through transfer of skills, information and technology, and improving credit and market access.
Commerce deputy minister Dr Lwipa Puma urged farmers to look after their animals well so that they could reproduce and have more than what they had been given.
Labels: DONORS, ERIC BEAUME, LWIPI PUMA
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Namulambe didn’t make a tribal statement - Dr Puma
By George Chellah
Wed 02 Dec. 2009, 04:01 CAT
COMMERCE deputy minister Dr Lwipa Puma yesterday said it is completely out of context to interpret science, technology and vocational training minister Gabriel Namulambe's observations as a tribal statement.
In an interview, Dr Puma - who is also Lufwanyama MMD member of parliament - said Namulambe had been misunderstood.
"I feel that reading what Honourable Namulambe said, it gives me an impression that he has been misunderstood. His statement was targeted against the people speaking ill of the late Levy Mwanawasa," Dr Puma said.
He said the late president Mwanawasa tried his best for the people of Zambia.
"For people to be talking ill of the late president, I think no one would be happy about that. It's not only the people of Copperbelt rural who would be unhappy if somebody talked ill of the late President but it's the people in all parts of the country who mean well and those who felt that the late president did a lot for this country," Dr Puma said. "Looking at the sentiments, I think
Honourable Namulambe was completely misunderstood on the statement he made and to interpret it as a tribal statement was completely out of context."
Dr Puma said the Mwanawasa must be allowed to rest in peace.
"Looking at some of the people who have been commenting, it is clear that they did not clearly read or clearly understand what Honourable Namulambe meant," said Dr Puma. "I feel that the late president should be allowed to rest in peace so that we who are living can refocus our energies under the leadership of President Rupiah Banda to develop our country."
Labels: GABRIEL NAMULAMBE, LWIPI PUMA, TRIBALISM
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Dr Puma expresses concern over MPs' ignorance
By Mwala Kalaluka
Saturday January 26, 2008 [03:00]
HEALTH deputy minister Dr Lwipa Puma on Wednesday said he was bewildered by the high levels of poverty of knowledge among some parliamentarians. And Roan PF member of parliament Chishimba Kambwili was on the same day restrained from uttering side comments against Speaker Amusaa Mwanamwambwa after he was denied an opportunity to raise a point of order against Dr Puma’s statement.
During debate on President Levy Mwanawasa’s address at the opening of the second session of the Tenth National Assembly, Dr Puma said he was bewildered that Kambwili, in one of his debates in the House, complained that he could not find choloroquine in the pharmacy of one of the hospitals in Luanshya.
“Mr. Speaker, I did not understand that the level of poverty of knowledge is so high,” Dr Puma said as some opposition parliamentarians heckled him.
“I can’t believe that four years after withdrawing choloroquine from the market, they still go to a clinic and ask about choloroquine.”
The government has replaced choloroquine with coartem as the first line of defence in the fight against malaria.
He urged members of parliament to always consult managers of hospitals and clinics in their constituencies before making statements on the issue of drug shortages in health institutions in the House.
“Things have changed,” said Dr Puma.
But Kambwili, who seemed uncomfortable during Dr Puma’s debate, tried to attract Speaker Mwanamwambwa’s attention by shouting “point of order, point of order” on top of his voice.
Speaker Mwanamwambwa however, ignored Kambwili’s calls for a point of order and allowed Dr Puma to continue his debate.
As he took his seat next to Lusaka Central PF member of parliament Guy Scott, Kambwili was heard grumbling about parliamentary standards that do not accommodate points of order, but Scott discouraged him from issuing sideline comments against Speaker Mwanamwambwa’s decision.
Speaker Mwanamwambwa has said before that he will only allow serious points of order to avoid the House being placed in unnecessary delays in the execution of its core business.
Labels: LWIPI PUMA, MPs
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