By REBECCA MUSHOTA –
THE Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned permanent secretaries against diverting money meant for poverty reduction programmes to administration purposes.
Chama North Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament (MP) January Zimba said on Thursday that the committee had observed that most ministries were in the habit of diverting funds meant for poverty reduction programmes to solving pressing administration issues.
Mr Zimba was speaking when Education Permanent Secretary Patrick Nkanza appeared before the Parliamentary committee to answer audit queries raised in the Auditor General (AG)’s report of 2013.
The report said K1, 750, 477 meant for procurement of educational materials was diverted to payment of insurance, air tickets and imprest.
“What surprises me is that I have never heard from any controlling officer that they have diverted funds from administration purposes to poor peoples’ programmes. This should come to a halt,” Mr Zimba said.
He said permanent secretaries and other technocrats in ministries were responsible for the times that Government did not deliver on their promises to the electorate.
Mr Zimba said often times, MPs and governments were booted out of power because of issues that were mishandled by technocrats.
Mumbwa MMD MP Brian Chituwo said it was wrong for ministries to misapply funds as it was against normal accounting practice.
United Party for National Development Choma MP Cornelius Mweetwa, who was chairing the sitting said from the report, it was clear that Dr Nkanza had taken a relaxed approach about such matters.
Dr Nkanza in his response to the query said that the Ministry of Education was in the process of seeking treasury authority to vary funds from administration headquarters to procurement of education materials.
But Mr Mweetwa said the financial regulations were clear on how to deal with officers that did not follow proper financing procedures.
He wondered why Dr Nkanza did not take appropriate action as it was laid down in the procedures.
Dr Nkanza said there was no justification as to why pro-poor funds were diverted saying that such an action would never be repeated.
Lubasenshi independent MP Patrick Mucheleka said he expected Dr Nkanza to take appropriate action because he knew him as a professional and not a cadre.