JOIN DRIVERN TAXI AS PARTNER DRIVER TODAY!
Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) has bemoaned the continued losses and misappropriation of public funds revealed in the 2012 Auditor General’s report which has just been released.
TIZ Executive Director Goodwell Lungu in a statement issued to QFM News says while TIZ commends the Auditor General’s Office for the good work done, they are worried that the continued lack of accountability of public funds is not showing any signs of major improvements.
Mr Lungu notes that the Auditor General’s report has demonstrated that there are various ways in which Zambia has continued losing public funds.
He TIZ has analyzed the 14 areas in which public funds were lost and bemoan the non accountability of such colossal sums of public funds.
He states that in the 14 areas analyzed, only insignificant reductions were recorded in 8 areas compared to increases in 6 areas that worsened.
Mr Lungu notes that while misappropriation of funds has reduced by about half, looking at the figures in 2011and 2012, misappropriation of funds should not be existent as K 463,631,579 is a huge sum of public funds to go down the drain.
He says the funds can make a difference if properly utilized on a lot of constructive issues.
He has also noted that loss of public funds through ‘irregular payments’ has also reduced by slightly over K 2 billion, from K4.2 billion in 2011 to K 1.4 billion in 2012.
Mr Lungu however states that despite these insignificant improvements the Zambian people are still losing public funds.
He adds that it is also very embarrassing to note a major increase in unaccounted for stores increasing from K22 billion in 2011 to K43 billion in 2012.
Mr Lungu says this might point to a breakdown of civil service procedures where officials may have opted to start converting government stores goods into private property which ordinary citizens may easily associate to be outright thefts.
He says TIZ urges the government to safe guard public resources in every way possible.
