By CATHERINE NYIRENDA –

THE Parliamentary Public Account Committee (PAC) yesterday heard how the Southern Province administration paid imprest amounting to K753, 671 in 2012 to officers who had not retired previous payments.
The 2012 Auditor General’s report indicates that K205 883 was issued to 43 officers in 49 transactions as at December 2012 which has not been retired while another K547,788 was issued to 155 officers in the same year and had not been retired either.
The Committee also heard that the province failed to recover K809,900 given to 123 officers as loans while K70,676 meant for Recurrent Departmental Charges (RDC) was misapplied and diverted for other use.
PAC chairperson Vincent Mwale questioned Provincial Permanent Secretary Margaret Miyoba and cited some officers from the 2012 Auditor General’s report who were given imprest but did not retire the previous payments.
“The financial regulations are very clear that an officer who has not retired imprest should not be given more imprest, but why did the chief accountant authorise the payment of more of such funds to some of these officers?” Mr Mwale asked.
In her response, Ms Miyoba admitted the oversight by the administrative officers but told the Committee that recoveries were being made through the affected officers’ salaries.
Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) Luena Member of Parliament (MP) Mulumemui Imenda and MMD Mafinga MP Catherine Namugala wondered if the chief accountant was not a ‘beneficiary’ of the money going by the way they were abrogating financial irregularities.
“The unretired imprest has become the conduit of siphoning money by officers who know that no stringent measures would be taken against them as the only punishment would be in form of soft loans,” Ms Imenda said.
PF Chama North MP January Zimba questioned the recovery of money from defaulting officers which was showing that the process started in May, 2013, yet the Auditor General’s report indicates that as of December 2013, it had not started.
Ms Namugala also expressed concerned at the casual approach by the acting senior accountant Muyano Mwanagomba who admitted that the province misused K50,000 out of  K70,676  meant for RDC.
“You are casually admitting that you misused K50, 000 out of the K70,676 meant for the RDC, is that the correct attitude honestly, you are not giving the matter the attention it deserves,” he said.
The Committees also heard how the province irregularly refunded the then Permanent ecretary K50,200 for his meals and accommodation expenses incurred at Decha lodge and Gloria’s Bed for a period of 109 days in 2012.
Other audit queries include the drawing of fuel meant for Rural Roads Unit amounting to K19,000  which was diverted to other uses as well as failure to remit K145,829  Pay As You Earn to Zambia Revenue
Authority deducted from  K396,067  paid to various officers as settling in allowances.