State to act against public funds abuse

Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda said efforts in improving service delivery in the public sector could only be effective if the two offices were strengthened and eventually reduce on queries by the office of the auditor general.
Speaking at the official launch of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) in Zambia at Cresta GolfView Hotel in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Chikwanda reaffirmed Government’s commitment to ensuring the institute’s programmes were strengthened to add value to the country’s corporate governance.
He said Government always encouraged healthy relations with oversight bodies such as the IIA to ensure best practices, effective corporate governance, risk management and transparent utilisation of public resources.
“In an effort to improve service delivery in the public sector, I have endeavoured to strengthen the office of the controller of internal audit and that of the accountant general.
“In so doing, we will be giving them more capacity and ability to prevent misuse of the meagre public resources which will eventually reduce on the queries by the auditor general,” Mr Chikwanda said.
He said good corporate governance and improved service delivery would be realised once all stakeholders, including internal auditors, were committed to providing relevant and appropriate advice or consultancy services to the needy functions.
The minister, however, expressed concern at the non-election of office bearers since the IIA was registered in Zambia, and described the situation as undemocratic.
IIA president Mwenya Chitalu said Zambia should have a viable and robust institute that could add value to the country’s development.
Mr Chitalu said internal auditing was a revered profession, though it remained a “thankless assignment” to many organisations that only appreciated it if there was operation or entity failure.