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By Yaadika N Chama,

Ministry of Finance and National Planning - HQ

The Auditor General (AG) ‘s office told the parliamentary Public Account Committee (PAC) that the Public Service Commission (PSC)  did not normalise the K70.5million they received from the Global Funds on HIV/AIDS in 2007.

And PAC Chairman Emmanuel Hachipuka said he hoped the committee might not see much of such scenarios because Public Funds could be lost.

During a submission on unconstitutional expenditure accrued by the PSC in the year ending December 31 2009 before PAC, PSC Commission Secretary Girland Safwila apologised to the committee for failure to normalise the HIV/AIDS funds received from the Ministry of Finance citing an oversight for their failure.

Mr. Safwila said he agreed with the observation made by the Auditor General on the alleged unconstitutional expenditure amounting to K33, 074,331.00 during the year under review. He advised that the commission received a sum of K70, 543, 200 from Ministry of Finance and National Planning being payment from Global Funds on HIV/AIDS. He said the funds were credited to the commission’s control despite the institution’s lack of a budget line for such expenditure.

 The alleged over-expenditure of K33, 074, 331.00 therefore arose a net effect of the said funding and some savings appearing under the head  relating to Personal Emoluments (K36, 189,036.00) and commission tours (K649,833.00) respectively. Mr. Safwila said consequently at the end of the financial year the commission was expected to pass an Inter-Departmental Clearance (IDC) voucher to Ministry of Finance and National Planning to normalise the expenditure.

However, Mr. Safwila who was flanked by PSC Chief Accountant David Mushinge said unfortunately this was not done, which was due to an oversight on their part. Mr. Mushinge wished to assure the committee that this anomaly will not arise again as measures have been taken to correct the reporting procedures since them.

And Hachipuka expressed interest in Safwila’s constant usage of the word alleged when talking about the unconstitutional expenditure cited in the Auditor General’s report for the financial year under review. Hacipuka said the unconstitutional expenditure was as a result of an audit query and was therefore genuine.

Safwila withdraw the alleged term and said it was just a misplacement of words. Luena Independent Parliamentarian Charles Milupi said the figures in the submission did not tie up prompting Mushinge to offer a clarification.

And P.F Parliamentarian Alfreda Mwamba said when she read through the report it was like someone was trying to make a very smart step of justifying what was brought up by the audit. Hachipuka complimented Mwambas’ observation that the procedures to raise IDCs was a normal procedure and that there must be trigger mechanism within the PSC system.

Deputy Accountant General Joe Ukwimi said the Global Funds on HIV/AIDS get into the budget through pledges and although they were basically budgeted for under the treasury. Ukiwimi said the recipients were obliged to raise IDCs at the end of the financial year but that PSC did not comply with the requirement.

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