By ALICE NACHILEMBE
Governance, Elections, Advocacy, Research Services (GEARS) Initiative Zambia Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi says the financial status of former ministers pay back should be transparent.
Commenting on the update from the Accountant General in the Ministry of Finance on the status of the payback of the salaries and allowances gotten by the Ministers who remained in office after the dissolution of Parliament in 2016 has indicated some reservations.
Mr Chipenzi says the fact that the Accountant General has revealed bulky deposits of the K4m but failed to disclose who deposited is a sign of lack of transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.
He said the Accountant General must be worried to receive bulky money from unknown sources because that exposes government to receiving money from terrorists and money launderers.
Mr Chipenza said the people need to know who is that one who has failed to respect the court ruling to still have an outstanding amount of K29, 000.00″Mr Chipenzi demanded.
He has emphasised the need for transparency in the transaction just in case these ministers got the money from the government treasury.
Mr Chipenzi is of the view that the Accountant General cannot fail to know who has not paid because all the Ministers who paid are known or even those paid by the bulky deposits are listed.
He wondered then as to why should it be hard for the Accountant General to know the defaulter, if it’s not a mere shielding of a defaulter.
Mr Chipenzi has made an appeal to the government to tell the people where the money will be applied to avoid it being ransacked by the same ministers.
