The LCV Chairperson Luwero has embarked on streamlining the
operations of the Public Accounts Committee to promote transparency and
accountability.
According to Section 88 (7) of the Local Government act, a district Public
Accounts Committee shall examine the reports of the Auditor-General, chief
internal auditor and any reports of commissions of inquiry and may, in relation
to the reports, require the attendance of any councillor or officer to explain
matters arising from the reports.
Section 88 (8) of the same act directs the district Public Accounts Committee
to submit its report to the council and to the Minister responsible for local
governments who shall lay the report before Parliament.
However, for the past term, no single report from the committee was tabled
in the district council for debate and recommendations. Councillors accused the
committee of inefficiency and lack of transparency.
Ronald Ndawula the former LCV Chairperson Luwero district says that he received
reports twice from the committee but some of the recommendations were overtaken
by events and commissioners also faced budgetary limitations to deliver reports
in time.
Ndawula added that they discussed some recommendations as District Executive
Committee and forwarded them with recommendations to the Chief Administrative
officer for action.
But Erastus Kibirango the new LCV Chairperson says that the Public Accounts
Committee had been neglected and its findings ignored.
Kibirango says that the findings of PAC are crucial for promoting transparency
and accountability among civil servants in the district since they keep them in
check.
Kibirango says that he intends to strengthen the committee by finding space for
its office, allocate more budgets to it and ensure they share their findings every
quarter for discussions in council.
Kibirango says that he intends among others to fix at least one sitting every
financial year where reports of the Public Accounts Committee and other statutory
bodies are tabled for all councillors to discuss as well as seek answers from
the CAO on matters raised there.
Cue in: “PAC will be …
Cue out;…congested”//
Luganda Byte
// Cue in: “Naye ndowooza Cue out;…
amakuumi asaatu”//
Erukam Kyoole Wamala the Chairperson of Luwero District Public Accounts
Committee said he was uncomfortable discussing challenges of the committee with
the media and promised to meet Chairperson to discuss how to streamline the
operations.
Kyoole said they are supposed to review audit reports every quarter and submit
reports to Chairperson for discussion in council but they are financially
constrained to do the work in time.
In 2017/18, The Auditor General report faulted the district
officials for failure to account for 94 Million Shillings and causing financial
loss of 34 Million Shillings.
In 2019/20, the Auditor General also faulted the district of gross financial
mismanagement over non-remittance of Pay As You Earn (PAYE) worth 90 million
shillings, delays of 48 pensioners to access payrolls, 28 unconfirmed
pensioners on payrolls and failure to utilize 2.4 billion shillings among
others.
However, all these reports are yet to be scrutinized and
recommendations are tabled in council for discussion.
