Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
The Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has denied misappropriating K34 million donor funds.
Addressing a media briefing following the findings of the KPMG In-depth review of the ZNFU audit, ZNFU vice president Richard Lisimba says Cooperating partners’ grants have largely been used on agreed programmes and activities.
He says the says the K34 million reported in the media is based on the EMM audit report whose credibility was questionable, adding that though KMPG Finland’s in-depth special audit observed that the EMM findings were valid, the union does not agree with that opinion.
Mr. Lisimba says KPMG performed a limited scope assignment and therefore did not validate all EMM findings and thus their opinion does not have a plausible basis to make their conclusions on the entire EMM audit report.
He has however, admitted that there have been shortcomings in some areas, but that the union has made efforts to carry out all activities that were planned and agreed with partners under the core support programme.
Mr. Lisimba explained that ZNFU has over the last four years generated substantial income of its own to the tune of K41.66 million which is above what was envisaged in the core support programme budget and made possible for discretionary spending by ZNFU.
He says as a way forward, ZNFU will investigate further the 2015 property costs charged to staff and other accounting entries that are not very clear.
And ZNFU President Evelyn Nguleka says they will do everything possible to ensure ZNFU does not collapse.
Dr Nguleka says whatever has gone wrong can be corrected for the benefit of farmers as well as the policy makers who benefit from the success of the union.