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By PHEPHILE MOTAU | 2024-05-23
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has given the National Disaster Management Agency 21 days to provide a proper account of E55.6 million, which the auditor general said was unaccounted for.
This includes E30 million for the COVID-19 response project, of which the PAC suggested that a forensic audit would come up with the required answers.
Besides the COVID-19 funds, the committee also wants the NDMA give a proper report on unaccounted for and undisclosed unutilised fuel funds, unaccounted for funds and payments supported with duplicated bookings lists for previous periods.
PAC requested for a proper account after the NDMA and the AG’s office could not agree on responses to recommendations made by the committee in the compliance report.
Committee Chairman, Madala Mhlanga said the issue was on the AG’s report for 2021/2022, and the recommendations were made but two years down the line, they were still to be implemented.
He asked the NDMA Chief Financial Officer, Thoko Dlamini, if the breakdown would be availed, and she responded to the affirmative, saying she was unsure if they should submit it to the AG’s office.
She said they had given the breakdown to the team which was available at the time, and now, they would give it to the new team from the AG’s office.
Mhlanga said it boggled his mind why the issue was not resolved on March 7, when the NDMA met with the AG’s office as they knew that they were preparing for the PAC.
The chairman said it seemed like in all the issues raised, there would be no progress as the NDMA and AG’s office kept contradicting each other.
This was after the NDMA stated that the issues were resolved following their engagement with the PAC, while the AG’s office said they were not aware of such.
The issue in question was the unaccounted for and unutilised fuel funds amounting to E10 807 224.69, which the AG’s office said was not accounted for in the Statement of Comprehensive Income.
According to the report, funds amounting to E11 027 968.33 were designated for fuel expenditure from funds received for the COVID-19 response projects from government.
Expenditure
In the financial year ended March 31, 2021, the bank charges of E67 965 and expenditure of E10 807 224.69 was reported to have been incurred, leaving E152 778.64 unutilised funds as at March 31, 2021.
The unutilised designated funds for fuel were not disclosed in the financial statements as deferred funds.
However, Melusi Masuku, Principal Secretary in the Deputy Prime Minister’s office, said they engaged the AG and as far as they were concerned, the matter was resolved.
Assistant AG, Samkele Motsa, disputed receiving the document, saying they only received the bank statement and not the breakdown.
“If the NDMA has the breakdown, they should provide it to us, so we can look at it and reach a consensus,” Motsa said.
Breakdown
Matsanjeni South Member of Parliament Sabelo Ndlangamandla wanted to know why the NDMA did not present the breakdown to the PAC if it was available.
PAC Vice-Chairperson Manzi Zwane said it seemed the NDMA was more concerned about its engagements with the AG’s office, instead of the recommendations made by the committee.
Zwane said the CFO spoke as if the issues were new, yet she should be addressing the issues raised by the PAC.
He said they expected Dlamini to show that everything required was provided, and not give an account of their engagements with the AG’s office.
Giving an explanation, the principal secretary said the AG’s office opened the window for them to engage on the issues in question, adding that it was a pity that they had still not resolved the issues.
NDMA acting Chief Executive Officer Eric Seyama said the AG had instituted a comprehensive audit and would give the final status of these issues.
Somntongo MP Sandile Nxumalo said he was pertubed that the NDMA and the AG’s office worked on the issues that were in the public domain in private and there was still no consensus.
Report
Ngwempisi MP Bhekibandla Vilakati said it seemed that they were disembowelling a live cow as it was clear that time was not given to the report.
He said they should be given time so that they spoke on issues that the NDMA and the AG’s office had consensus on.
Dvokodvweni MP Sifiso Shabalala said they were confused by the two parties not agreeing on issues, yet the PAC worked on reports provided to them.
He said it should be made clear if the NDMA did not have the report.
The chairman said he had consulted with the AG’s office that the comprehensive audit would be completed by June 6 and said the NDMA should return on June 14 with responses on the matters.
PAC questions reshuffling of accountants
The PAC has expressed concern over the reshuffling of government accountants, which they said resulted in things not getting done.
The PAC said this after many controlling officers from the ministries that appeared before the committee highlighted that some recommendations had not been implemented because of the constant transfers of accountants.
Vice Chairperson Manzi Zwane asked why they were reshuffled as issues were not sorted out on time and if this was because of certain anomalies.
However, Assistant Accountant General Celani Dlamini said the accountants got used to doing one job and not being exposed to anything else, which was part of government’s accounting.
She made an example that one officer would be in salaries, and then get only to only focus on processing salaries and nothing else. She said the accountant general then rotated them so that they would have knowledge on other things. Zwane wondered if they ever considered that the people’s lives and plans changed when they were moved from one job to the next and also asked if the accountants should be trained.
Ngwempisi MP Bhekibandla Vilakati said ministries did not take their job seriously and made an example that when athletes took part in a relay, only trained people formed part of the team.
He said it would never happen that a baton would then be taken by someone who danced sibhaca, and be followed by a drum majorette as this would disturb the flow of the race.
Salaries will be deducted for failure to remit travel funds
Civil servants who do not remit tour advances following their trips will have the money deducted from their salaries.
This was disclosed by the Assistant Auditor General, Samkele Motsa on Monday when the Deputy Prime Minister’s office appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
This was after Dvodvweni MP Sifiso Shabalala raised concern that the retirement of tour advances seemed to be a challenge with all ministries, highlighting that it was all good when the minute for the trip was signed, but it was a problem to account for the trips.
Shabalala, who said he did not know how the system worked, was of the view that a person should not get another trip until they accounted for a previous one.
He said the funds should be accounted for immediately after the travelling officers returned.
“It seems this is a problem across all ministries and it’s not clear whether the officers take the trip,” he said.
Motsa said there were procedures and guidelines which state that money should be deducted from the salary of an officer who did not remit his tour advances after 31 days.
He said this was a problem in all ministries as they did not enforce the power vested in them.
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