New Auditor General Appointed
New Auditor General Appointed
Before adjourning sine die, Parliament this week approved the appointment of Dr. Dick Sichembe as Auditor General (AG).
The appointment was confirmed after Sichembe, who was nominated by the President, was found to be eligible for the role by Parliament's select committee on appointments. The opposition supported the appointment. However, they advised Government to pay full attention to the reports and findings of the office of the Auditor General.
Recent reports have exposed serious concerns with current practice. However, little appears to have been done to address the deficiencies identified.
Among the problems routinely identified in the AG reports are the misapplication of funds, unsupported payments, unaccounted for assets, irregular procurements, questionable payments, wasteful expenditure, overpayments and the failure to settle retirees’ benefits.
The 2018 report further revealed 12 local authorities did not prepare financial statements contrary to Section 52 Local Government Act, that seven councils had no strategic plan and highlighted the non-remittance of statutory contributions to the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA), Local Authorities Superannuation Fund (LASF) and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) to the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA).
The lack of action on the findings of recent years has prompted calls in some quarters for the Auditor General to be empowered with prosecutorial powers
Sichembe previously served as Accountant General, having been appointed to the position by President Lungu in February 2017 at which time the President also determined to elevate the position of Accountant General to permanent secretary level in a bid to support accountability and transparency in the management of public resources. During his time in the position Sichembe was tasked with cleaning up the government payroll and supporting efforts to secure more criminal convictions for those guilty of financial misconduct.
Sichembe's deputy, Francis Mbewe, was sworn-in earlier this month. Mbewe has stated that he is committed to increasing coverage of local authorities, with a view to auditing 100 percent of councils. Currently, only 40 percent are reviewed. Speaking on his appointment Mbewe stated, “We will also continue collaborating with other oversight institutions such as the Anti-Corruption Commission, Drug Enforcement Commission among others to ensure discipline in the expenditure of the public service.”
In addition to approving Dr. Sichembe’s appointment as Auditor General, Parliament this week also approved appointments to the Judicial Complaints Commission and the ZNBC board.
