Mbarara City Council officials fail to account for Shs 6.4 bln
MBARARA – Technocrats at Mbarara City Council have been compelled to explain the missing Shs 6.4 billion meant to be spent in the financial year 2021/2022.
While appearing before the Parliamentary Accounts Committee on Tuesday, the town clerk, Assy Abirebe, Principal human resource officer, Sulain Katusiime, principal treasurer, Richard Kerere and Juliet Arinaitwe who was the accountant and now promoted as the senior revenue officer were asked to defend a number of issues arising from the funds spent in the financial year under review.
Dr. Patrick Isingoma Mwesigwa, the Hoima East division Member of Parliament who is the lead counsel of the parliamentary committee asked the city council officials to explain why the city failed to absorb Shs 2.5bln for wage, pension, and gratuity in that financial year.
According to the Auditor General’s report, the Mbarara City Council failed to remit Shs 92 million to Mbarara City North Division to execute its activities and the money was diverted to purchase a grader without the consent of the division leadership.
The committee chaired by MP Betty Naluyima Ethel also observed that a total of Shs 18.6bln budgeted to pay the staff salaries was unspent.
The committee also observed that Mbarara City North Division realised a revenue shortfall of about Shs 262mln out of Shs 1.7 bln planned to be collected during the financial year 2021/22.
It was also observed that the city council overpaid 22 staff by about Shs 3.8mln while they underpaid some staff to the tune of Shs about 4.4mln. It also made an overpayment of Shs 2.5 mln to six pensioners.
According to Michael Tusiime, a consultant audit advisor at parliament, the overpayment of staff and pensioners caused a financial loss to the government.
The city town clerk Assy Abirebe attributed the errors to non-automation of the incremental dates in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll System [IPPS] by the Ministry of Public Service for which the accounting officer has no control.
Abirebe explained that failure to absorb the staff funds was a result of an unapproved structure by the ministry of public service.
“Staff salaries could not be paid due to delays to operationalize the city structure by the ministry of public service which affected the service delivery. Salary arrears could not all be absorbed because some of the beneficiaries on the verified list had been paid in 2020/2021 whose payment could be tantamount to a double payment,” Abirebe said.
PAC asked the three senior staff to present all the necessary documents regarding the missing funds on Thursday [Today] or else they will be sent to parliament for further action.
“You should submit whatever is required within one week and you even have work to submit on 30th April,” Naluyima emphasised.
It was observed that most of the finance senior staff deliberately make errors to mismanage the government funds.
Bardege-Layibi Division MP, Martin Ojara Mapenduzi who is the chairperson of -PAC Local Government said staff in some districts are paid excess salaries.
“We have found out that there are some human resource officers who connive with individuals to pay them excess money and we have recommended some to be prosecuted for defaulting government,” Mapenduzi said.
However, he was pleased with Ibanda and Isingiro districts that performed well in local revenue generation.
“Ibanda district generated above their projection. Isingiro district performed well with about 114 percent in terms of local revenue and we encourage them to keep doing well,” said Mapenduzi.
https://thecooperator.news/over-shs-60-mln-raised-to-fund-mbarara-city-festival/
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