. WINA

By CHILA NAMAIKO –
THE office of the Auditor General will next year prioritise its work based on the risk assessment to cover most areas prone to financial mismanagement including that of enhancing the audit of all local authorities, Parliament heard yesterday.
Vice-President Inonge Wina said the office of the Auditor General, in undertaking its 2017 work programme, would take into account the Government’s objective to restore macroeconomic stability and budget credibility.
“To assist Government in mobilising domestic resources, the office will also audit revenue collection agencies including funds collected through the new toll gates introduced in the road sector,” she said.
The Vice-President said this when she delivered a policy statement for the Auditor General’s Office of K104, 450,936 budgetary allocation which was unanimously approved by members in the House.
Ms Wina said the office of the Auditor General has since made headways in advancing its strategic plans which would assist in coming up with a revised structure to take into account the added responsibilities of auditing local authorities as per amended Constitution.
The Government was grateful for continued support from the cooperating partners in supplementing the Office of the Auditor General’s budget and thereby making it possible to conduct most of the prioritised planned audits in 2016.
In alleviating challenges of that office, Ms Wina said Government would release funds for operations on a timely basis to ensure that audits are conducted within planned timeframe.
In his debate to the office of the Auditor General, United Party for National Development Choma Member of Parliament Cornelius Mweetwa urged Government to appoint the Auditor General following the recent retirement of Anne Chifungula.