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{
    "id": 143054,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/143054/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 308,
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me take this opportunity to thank the Chairman of the PAC, his Committee Members and the staff of the National Assembly for a job well done. It was not easy for the Committee to have come up with this Report. It is huge and very important. The problem is that we are now discussing the accounts for the year 2004/2005 in the year 2009. These accounts are more than four years late. So, they become historical data. Instead of this Report being so important, it just becomes statistics or a history book. Even if we are to agree to the recommendations that the Committee has made, such as the one that says some officers should not hold public offices, these people have already retired, resigned or died. Therefore, such a recommendation is irrelevant and immaterial. On the recommendation that says that a few parastatal heads should be investigated and possibly charged with offences of corruption and abuse of office, most of the officers have already retired. Some of them have already been sacked. Some have already gone to other places. Therefore, again, such a recommendation becomes a historical data. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am looking forward to a time when the accounts of a current report will be discussed in the same calendar year. It is only then that we will be able to look at the recommendations of the Committee, and this House to take necessary action. That way, PAC recommendations will be relevant. As of now, this is just history. If you look at the PAC/PIC Reports, you will see that there has been misuse of Government funds by Ministries and parastatal chiefs. It is high time effective steps were taken, so that we can stop misuse and abuse of offices. In line with this, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, recently, gave instructions that all Government officers, including Ministers, should not drive vehicles with engine capacities exceeding 1,800 cubic centimetres. We need to support the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance in his effort in this regard. I have, in fact, even challenged him to go a step further and resume the role that the Ministry of Finance used to play in this respect. The Ministry of Finance used to purchase vehicles for all Government Ministries and parastatals. If they were to do that, then they would be in a position to decide on the model, the engine capacity rating as well as on the colour of the vehicles."
}