AG report reveal financial irregularities at Ministry of Foreign Affairs

—————The latest report by the Auditor General’s Office reveal that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs used K1, 180,298  for operations at missions abroad, without authority from the Secretary to the Treasury.

The report disclosed that this is contrary to financial regulation number 130 which states that all revenue should be deposited to the credit of the treasury account.

The report further revealed that out of the total revenue collections of K3, 488,005 only K2, 307,706 was remitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Contrary to Financial Regulation number 171, as of September 2014 no loss report had been prepared in respect of cash amounting to K36, 397 which was stolen on November 26, 2012 due to a burglary in the accounts office.

The report also discloses that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been operating without a strategic plan since the expiry of the previous one 2011.

The adoption of Zambia’s first Foreign Policy document was done in January 1996, however the report revealed that circumstances on the international scene have since changed and this has called for a revised Foreign Policy.

Contrary to Foreign Service Regulation No.44 which states that the responsibility of the government shall be limited to a maximum of three children per officer, the report explains that the ministry incurred expenditure of K11, 490 in respect of travel expenses for the fourth child of the High Commissioner who was taking up an appointment in Ghana.

As of October no recoveries had been effected from the officer.