By DELPHINE ZULU –
THE latest Auditor General’s report has revealed that the Bursaries Committee has paid the Copperbelt University (CBU) twice for students’ accommodation.
Initially, the bursaries conditions require that sponsored students be either accommodated or paid accommodation allowances during the period of their studies.
But in this case, the Bursaries Committee paid the university K436, 244 for 190 accommodated students and another K178, 500 as accommodation allowances to the same students.
“About  190 students were paid twice by the Bursaries Committee contrary to the conditions. It paid accommodation allowances amounting to K178, 500 to the same students for whom the Bursaries Committee had paid K436, 244 accommodation to the University,” read the report.
Another K22, 019, 070 was remitted to various missions for student allowances abroad and administrative expenses for education attaches were not supported by expenditure returns at the ministry.
And during the 2014 audit, the report also revealed that 14, 925 text books costing K134, 325 that were delivered to five DEBS offices had no receipts and disposal details, casting doubt as to whether the books were received by the intended recipients or not.
Rufunsa had 1, 500 unaccounted books for Grade One term two in Chinyanja costing K13, 500, Mongu  had 534 Silozi books at K4, 806, Chongwe had 2, 500 Chinyanja books at K22, 500, Lundazi had 3,000 books for term one and two at K27,000, Chipata 4,000 Chinyanja at K36,000 and Mkushi 1,552 in Icibemba at K13,968.
Others are Mkushi with 1,154 books for Grade One term two in Icibemba costing K10, 386, Luangwa with 280 and 315 Chinyanja books costing K5, 355 and Monze with 89 Tonga books costing K 800.
The audit report further revealed that the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocation Training Early Education transferred K 12,579,280 to Mulungushi University at the University’s request for urgent rehabilitation works of water infrastructure on the understanding that the funds would be reimbursed by the Treasury.
However, the funds had not been reimbursed, resulting in the Ministry not servicing some of the outstanding certificates on the Ministry’s plan for infrastructure works.
“As of May 2015, unpaid certificates had accumulated amounts totalling K149, 952, 838,” read the report.