– PAC calls for zero audit query this year

— The PUBLIC Accounts Committee (PAC) says it expects the 2014 audit querry to be a zero-audit query.

PAC Chairperson Vincent Mwale says his committee wants a zero audit query report so that ordinary Zambians to benefit from public resources.

Mr. Mwale, who is also MMD Chipangali Member of Parliament (MP),  says he doesn’t want to see audit queries reflecting in the Auditor General’s report year-in and out.

Mr. Mwale cited the Ministry of Finance had less than ten audit in 2012 but turned that it had the highest queries in the country.

The PAC Chairman was speaking in Lusaka today on the sidelines of the official launch of the Auditor General Report analysis conducted by the Policy Monitoring and Research Centre (PMRC).

He disclosed that PAC has since partnered with PRMC in an effort to strategize and book unscrupulous public officers.

During the period under review, the Ministry of Lands and 106 audit queries while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had only a pantry zero point six queries respectively.

He expressed gratitude that the Analysis by PMRC would give his Committee ammunition and capacity to probe government line ministries including quasi government and parastatal firms like ZESCO and NAPSA among others.

Mr. Mwale further challenged PMRC to extend the research on the Constituency development Fund (CDF) and see how the funds were being abused.

Mr. Mwale sounded that his committee would not relent until sanity is brought in the country to enable the economy to thrive by holding accountable ‘deceiving’ public officers..

he regretted that some payment vouchers were allegedly found in people’s homes that were under investigations.

He challenged public officers to desist from stealing public funds at the expense of vulnerable people in the country.

Stakeholders such as Max Moyo from the University of Zambia welcomed the launch of the Auditor General Report Analysis.

Mr. Moyo challenged PMRC to roll out in rural areas and establish offices.

Meanwhile, various media awards were given to deserving media practitioners for their immense contributions in on auditing and its effects of the economy.