Accounting officers called to explain vanished millions

Concerns are mounting over the lack of accountability following audit reports that reveal widespread financial mismanagement at government ministries and local authorities.

his comes after recent accounting reports on various institutions indicated the misuse of funds.

As a result, accounting officers have been summoned for public hearings to account for concerns raised by auditor general Junias Kandjeke.

The Keetmanshoop municipality has recorded losses of N$77 million in three years, compared to over N$68 million in 2020.

The municipality received an adverse opinion for the 2020/21 financial year, indicating that the entity’s financial reports are significantly misstated and fail to present a true reflection of its financial condition.

Additionally, a recent audit report revealed that the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture has overspent its allocated budget, with nearly N$15 million misallocated and procurement procedures bypassed.

This includes instances of exceeding the budget for staff salaries and other expenditures, violating the State Finance Act of 1991.

Former member of parliament Dudu Murorua, who has also served as the chairperson of the public accounts committee (PAC), says audit reports are tabled in the National Assembly to hold accounting officers responsible.

“Before we summoned the accounting officers, we sent questions to the ministry for answers.

Accounting officers are summoned to be questioned in the presence of the auditor general as to what happened to the funds, among others,” he says.

Murorua yesterday said the committee normally focuses on unfavourable audit reports, upon which it summons accounting officers to a hearing.

He said he has observed a concerning trend lately, involving that auditor reports are released, flagging irregularities in various ministries and local authorities, which are never dealt with.

Murorua said gone are the days when mismanagement goes unpunished.

Kandjeke this week said after the report has been tabled in the National Assembly it becomes a public document.

This means they can be loaded onto the Office of the Auditor General’s website.

“The reports are then scrutinised by the public accounts committee members in the presence of auditor general staff and the parliament secretariat. Treasury staff may also attend the meetings.

“PAC meetings have been taking place every Thursday from 09h00 to 11h00. They are public hearings in the presence of media houses,” Kandjeke said.

After these public hearings, a committee report is tabled in the parliament to seek approval of recommendations and corrective measures, he said.

Kandjeke said the audited institutions are given a time frame within which to implement the recommendations of the PAC and the auditor general.

“Audit opinions are based on findings and evidence provided,” he said.

Meanwhile, several political parties and the Office of the Auditor General have been calling for the expansion of the auditor general’s powers to include the ability to penalise entities failing to comply with audit recommendations or obstructing the audit process.

This would involve granting the auditor general the authority to enforce accountability through penalties and potentially other measures.

Swapo member of parliament Tobie Aupindi earlier this year suggested that part of the expansion of the auditor general’s powers should also be extended to audit the private sector and not only the government.

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