The Government, through the Civil Service Commission, has dismissed three (3) accounting staff for abuse and theft of public funds.
Those dismissed are Mr Enoce Kashweka, a Principal Accountant, Mr Eugene Kausa, an Accounts Assistant, and Mr Hutson Hachuma, an Accounts Assistant.
The stolen funds will be recovered from the terminal and pension benefits of the three dismissed officials. The due process of the law will also be pursued by Law Enforcement Agencies.
Meanwhile, Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba has reiterated that to curb fraud and theft of public funds, Controlling Officers need to be on high alert in monitoring the happenings in their institutions.
He added that Controlling Officers need to be firm in guiding their institutions on public financial management matters as they are instrumental in actualizing President Edgar Lungu’s vision of ensuring that prudent management of public resources is entrenched across the breadth and width of the public sector.
Mr Yamba says the Ministry of Finance will not hesitate to evoke the sanction provisions of the Public Finance Management Act, 2018, against erring Controlling Officers and other public officials when regulations and rules governing the handling and utilization of public resources are contravened.
He has urged Controlling Officers to ensure that the irregularities pronounced in the auditor general’s report begin to get reversed in future audit instances.
As part of the process of quantifying the value of public assets so that adequate property security systems are put in place, the Ministry of Finance has embarked on an asset registration exercise for all public assets and stores. The exercise is expected to strengthen accountability, oversight, management and control of public assets in accordance with the Act.
Last week, the Ministry of Finance organised a Controlling Officers Seminar to help the delegates to appreciate the overview of the Public Finance Management Act, No. 1, 2018, and review the financial and stores regulations to bring them in conformity with the new Act and further strengthen internal control systems in the management of public resources.
