Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Government says it has taken measures to recover a total of over 200 million kwacha erroneously paid allowances to public officials under the Ministry of Education following an audit conducted by the office of the auditor general of the payroll for the ministry of education for the financial years 2017 to 2021.
The Audit was targeted at ascertaining the correctness of remunerations paid to serving public officials under the ministry of education.
Despite printed instructions on all pay-slips for recipients to report overpayments and non-recovery of loans and advances, some urban based officials in the ministry of education remained silent after erroneously receiving allowances such as rural hardship.
A total of over k42.8 million kwacha was paid as housing allowance to 2,594 officials; k13.2 million kwacha was paid as rural hardship allowance to 423 officials; over k2.9 million kwacha was paid as remote hardship allowance to 56 officials; over k61, million kwacha was erroneously paid as double class allowance to 3,075 officials; and over k89. 3 million kwacha was erroneously paid as responsibility allowance 3,296 officials.
According to a statement availed to QTV news, Minister of Finance and National Planning Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane, has explained that in certain cases, some teachers of single classes had erroneous access to double class allowances.
He says the action taken on the basis of the report by the auditor general is not punitive but aimed at recovering public resources erroneously paid to ineligible officials.
The minister of finance and national planning has since instructed the accountant general to step- up the liaison with the Payroll Management and Establishment Control (PMEC) department at Cabinet Office to ensure that the historical shortcoming of erroneous payment of allowances does not re-surface and that payroll management is non-disruptive, going forward.