Hanang district gets ‘qualified’ audit opinion

MARIAM JUMA in Hanang’

HANANG District Council has been issued with a statement that suggests the information it provided in regard to its accounts was limited in scope as a way of concealing some ‘misused’ public funds.

Reports reaching councillors here shows that the council had funds that were not accounted for or were apportioned to wrong parties, as was the case with salaries, community funds, cash payments without necessary attachments – accounting for a whopping 517m/- during FY 2015/16.

The report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) shows that, among other things, some people who weren’t government employees are said to have been paid salaries to the tune of 16m/- in hard cash payments without any official attachments; another 16m/- is also deemed to have been issued unlawfully while 7m/- for a community fund went missing.

The councilors are due to discuss ways to improve management of public funds after the CAG report showed there were gross loopholes in the council’s financial system.

The breakdown shows that there were some 16m/ that is not known how was spent, while 20m/- was allocated as debt repayment of mysterious debts.

It is claimed further that some 8m/- was allocated to an activity that was not included in the council’s financial report while 378m/- for the general election and a further 7m/- assigned as an excess in the polling stations were brought to question.

In addition, the CAG says in his 2015/16 report that the Hanang district council should make a detailed tracking and come up with flawless answers on the 127m/- payment voucher, verify if 109m/- was transferred back from a bank to Treasury and how some 402m/- was spent on development budget that resulted in an excess in funds set aside for the 2015 general election.

Hanang’ District Commissioner (DC), Ms Sarah Msafiri also spoke of people being paid salaries while they aren’t on government payroll, saying these should be arrested and detained until they repay the funds.

She also said there is no need to write them letters because that would mean seeking a dialogue with them. The DC said it was pertinent that CAG recommendations were met promptly to improve the system – and advised that every department should be involved be held accountable on the funds disbursement and spent instead of leaving everything to the district’s financial department.

Hanang district executive director Bryceson Kibassa attributed the qualified opinion to lack of expertise in record keeping within the district, saying some of the data got lost, ostensibly so that it was difficult to make a close follow-up.

He said now the council has got an expert in the area and promised to use them effectively. Hanang’ District Council Chairman, Mr George Bajuta said the qualified opinion is a result of the past leadership to be involved in embezzlement of public funds.

Of all the seven district of Manyara region, only Hanang’ came out with such a ‘qualified’ opinion.