Government Introduces Another Statutory Instrument But Fail To Explain What Exactly it Does Or How It Helps

Margaret Mwanakatwe has issued Statutory Instrument number 42 of 2018. In a statement released by the minister she said she ‘envisaged that with effective enforcement of the Public Finance Management Act no.1 of 2018, transparency and accountability in public finance management in Zambia will tremendously improve.’ A suitably vague explanation as to what exactly this Statutory Instrument means.

Mwanakatwe continues that this will ensure incidences of misuse and theft of public resources will also be reduced – quite how she fails to explain. She adds, this Instrument will have a ‘positive impact’ on resource allocation and improve public service delivery, but again fails to provide any meaningful or practical reasons why.

The act means that any person who breaches provisions of the Public Finance Management Act no.1 of 2018 will be fined, suspended, demoted dismissed, or prosecuted, accordingly. But is this not what the law stipulated already?

Mrs Mwanakatwe has further stated that the Public Finance Management Act no.1 of 2018 also empowers the Secretary to the Treasury to deal with non-performing Controlling officers and Controlling bodies. Open Zambia is concerned that this could be translated as an act which allows Mwanakatwe to remove individuals she deems in her way or that of the President’s under the guise of protecting state finances.