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Return to surprise auditing practice most welcome
2007-08-15 08:29:46
By Editor
Right away from independence to closing years of the 1980s, it was customary for the Treasury to conduct surprise checks of cash and financial books held be different ministries, including diplomatic missions.
For hitherto unknown reasons, that practice was mysteriously shelved off because of what some bureaucrats argued as causing unwarranted expenditure of public resources.
Consequently, those entrusted with managing public bursaries were unquestionably allowed to do as they would wish for the entire year running, only to wait for the annual Controller and Auditor General (CAG) routine auditing to be undertaken.
In the end of the process, we have heard quite more than enough about how CAG’s annual reports reveal billions of public money having being misappropriated or directly embezzled by uncouth public accountants.
Even more shocking before public eyes is the high degree of combined complacency and compromise over this public rot that has been consistently happening over the years.
The only barking dogs against theft of public finances have so been the media and donors, the latter inherently commanding the right of questioning financial accountability of funds so coming from their own tax payers.
Somehow in this financial year, the reasoning that a stitch in time prevents nine must have pulled up the thinking strings of the Treasury.
The Minister for Finance Zakhia Meghji has requested additional resources for the Treasury that would enable the National Accounting Office (NAO) to conduct surprise quarterly audits with the view to staving off further stealing of public monies.
Indeed, it is finely encouraging to note that the first of such actions was undertaken mid last month when the Treasury posted auditors to various parts of the country to do oversights on financial accounting, targeting infrastructure, clinics, schools, and water projects.
However, this now well meaning return to surprise auditing may come to not anything unless some corrective measures are concretely taken against culprits netted to have misappropriated public funds, including confiscation of property proved to have been illegally so acquired.
This way, it will be possible to find some sense as to why the government should widen its tax base by 30 percent, while in addition bothering to set up district tax advisory committees.
As one would naturally have expected, an increased efficiency in revenue collection by any government of the day would imprint relevance through judicious expenditure of public resources.
Even more overarching imagination, is how government`s intention to lessen donors’ overdependence in financing the development budget could be achieved unless steadfast discipline in public finance management is observed.
Probably not too late, such surprise auditing actions should be extended to the physical verification on the conduct of harvesting forest products by licensed companies to see to it that laid down laws and procedures are adhered to during the licensee`s lifetime.
This strategy may create check-up synergies for preserving the country’s natural resources from depletion.
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