Failure to address misuse of public funds irks Action Aid

ActionAid Country Director Nalucha Ziba

Action Aid Zambia says it is dismayed by government’s failure to address the misuse of public resources.

Country Director Nalucha Ziba says there is need to strengthen the Public Finance Act by including more punitive measures and also strengthening public procurement to avoid resource wastage.

Commenting on the latest Auditor General’s report, Ms Ziba notes that it appears controls have collapsed in the public service and it’s now free for all or civil servants deliberately ignore procedures and do as they wish.

She laments that in a country with some grass thatched schools, public resources are misapplied or unaccounted for.

According to the 2016 Auditor General’s report, misapplication of funds has risen from K28 MILLION IN 2015 to K162 million in 2016, while unaccounted for funds has increased from K190 million in 2015 million to K380 million.