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{
    "id": 683774,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/683774/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 166,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Eng.) Gumbo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 24,
        "legal_name": "Nicholas Gumbo",
        "slug": "nicholas-gumbo"
    },
    "content": "(d) Interest payments arising from delay in honouring payment certificates will be avoided if MDAs prioritise the preparation of annual procurement plans and attendant work plans to facilitate prompt requisitioning of funds from the National Treasury. On the other hand, the National Treasury should ring-fence project funds for timely releases and on requisitioning. (a) We noted rampant cases of unapproved project work and cost variations on Government contracts. Project managers are advised to avoid such variations since they distort the project procurement plans given that the variations will be above the recommended 25 per cent limit on bills of quantities and costs. In this regard, any project manager who approves such variations without due process will be held personally liable and be surcharged and/or prosecuted. (b) Those Government officers who collaborate with contractors to alter project quality and delivery of work plans are put on notice for professional negligence. Disciplinary action including sanctions by their respective professional bodies must be taken on those Government officers who provide substandard/inflated bills of quantities and project management reports that seem to favour rogue contractors who collude to fleece public resources. The Committee recommends that the project implementing Government agencies engage Public Works officers and cease incurring extra costs on private consultations as much as possible. The sixth issue is on performance of Accounting Officers. Aware that the CS National Treasury is the appointing authority for Accounting Officers, the Committee wishes to express its displeasure by the poor performance by many Accounting Officers. The Committee notes with deep concern the weak supervisory control by the CS, National Treasury over the Accounting Officers. Among the key concerns are:- (a) The unwillingness or outright failure by the Accounting Officers to convene entry and exit meetings with the Auditor-General to facilitate the audit process and ventilate on the provision of information and relevant documentation. (b) Failure to respond to Management letters from the Office of the Auditor-General in a timely manner. (c) The tendency by most Accounting Officers to find excuses, most of which tend to be frivolous, to delay and/or frustrate convening of exit meetings. (d) Poor, inadequate or unsatisfactory responses to audit queries as raised by the Auditor- General. (e) Late submission of responses to the audit queries by the Auditor-General. (f) Numerous and unconvincing excuses to avoid appearance before the Committee. (g) Failure to act on the recommendations of the Committee. (h) Unwarranted attack on the Office of the Auditor-General. Hon. Speaker, we noted cases where some MDAs, including the National Treasury, bought space in the media to discredit the report of the Auditor-General when it was tabled. The Committee considered this action as reckless and displays a lack of appreciation of the requirements of the new Constitution and signals a laissez faire attitude towards the audit process."
}