The Assistant Auditor General Keto Nyapendi Kayemba has called on members of parliament who sit on mainly accountability, budget and finance committees to be tougher on accounting officers on public funds.
The Assistant Auditor General Keto Nyapendi Kayemba wants Members
of Parliament on the accountability, budget, and
finance committees to be tough on accounting officers.
Kayemba was speaking at the half-day
sensitization seminar for members of parliament of the accountability, budget
and finance committees on the key highlights in the Financial Year 2017/18
Auditor General’s report.
The sensitization workshop was to guide members of the accountability committees on key
issues as they start considering the report. They are expected to
present a report on the audit report in six months.
Auditor General’s report for 2017/18 was tabled in Parliament
in January.
The report also noted that 40 entities failed to submit their
strategic plans, which are key during appropriation for funds by Parliament.
Kayemba noted that although there was an improvement in financial reporting,
the committees must be keen on gaps in government planning and budgeting such
as lack of service delivery standards for all ministries departments, agencies,
and local governments.
Kayemba wants the committees to be tough on the accounting officers when
considering the report of the Auditor
General.
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Kayemba told the MPs that although financial reporting has
generally improved, the wasteful expenditure increased from 2.7 billion shillings
in 2016/2017 to 66.9 billion shillings.
Funds not accounted for also increased from 18 billion to 21.7
billion shillings and mischarge of expenditure from 83.8 billion to 370 billion
shillings.
The most notable entities were Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) that
mischarged 314 billion shillings and Judiciary that mischarged 34 billion
shillings while there was wasteful expenditure of 43.7 billion shillings by Uganda
Electricity Transmission Company Ltd in the Mbarara-Nkenda Transmission
Line project.
The judiciary was the only entity from the 18 entities in the central
government that had an adverse opinion. An adverse opinion is arrived at when
there are misrepresentations in the accounts.
The report explained that the 34 billion shillings in the
judiciary’s annual budget of 120 billion was not reflected on its accounts, its
rent of 2 billion shillings had no supporting documents among other
misrepresentations on its accounts.
Chairperson of the Budget Committee, Amos Lugoloobi of Ntenjeru North County,
concurs with Kayemba that committees must toughen and demand accountability
from UNRA, the judiciary and other entities that have mischarged funds.
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Lugoloobi commended the Auditor General for also inviting the
budget committee and that of finance to the sensitization workshop unlike in
the past when it focused on only the four accountability committees on central
government, local governments, statutory authorities, and state enterprises and government assurances.
He noted that the Auditor General needs to interface with the
budget committee at least twice a year because budgets fund plans and therefore
the audit reports should inform the budget committee and the entire parliament
on whether or not to appropriate funds to entities and also projects.
The Chairperson for Public Accounts (Local Governments) Judith
Franca Akello noted that there is a need to address unprofessionalism of some
officials from the Auditor General’s
office where some ask entities to author good audits.
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Moroto County MP, Fred Angella says that there is need to strengthen other
anti-corruption agencies because the Auditor General, Parliament and Inspector
General of Government (IGG) are not able to deal with misuse of public funds
effectively.
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Alebtong woman MP, Christine Achen Ayo
and Butebo Woman MP Agnes Ameede
say that the Auditor General’s report is a review of funds spent, misused and
that there is need to simplify the report for MPs.
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The Auditor General's report for 2017/2018 audited 1919 entities
and noted that of the 466 audited local governments, commissions and
ministries, departments and agencies, 37 have audit queries (qualified opinion)
and the judiciary as the only entity with an adverse opinion.
