Auditor General finds over 10,000 govt workers illegally on payroll

Auditor General John Muwanga has found that 10,192 government employees should not have been on the government payroll by June 2023. 

A total of sh53b was annually paid to this category of staff and is therefore recoverable according to Muwanga. 

Muwanga on Tuesday, January 9, presented his audit report to Parliament on the annual accounts of the government for the year ended June 30, 2023. 

The report contains audit findings on the Government of Uganda's consolidated financial statements, the financial performance of public corporations, state enterprises and companies in which the government has a controlling interest. 

Muwanga presented his report to the Speaker of Parliament Anita Among. Present was Joel Ssenyonyi the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and the Clerk to Parliament Adolf Mwesige. 

Muwanga was accompanied by Anthony Kimuli, the director of audit, and Edward Akol the Assistant Auditor General among other staff members. 

Muwanga said that he undertook a special audit of the salary payroll across the government, which included validation of all government employees in 367 entities comprising 162 ministries, agencies and departments of government, 176 local governments and 29 other government organisations for February 2023. 

“The exercise revealed that 10,192 employees were recommended for removal from government payroll, having been either confirmed dead, absconded or retired by the time of validation.” 

Muwanga has advised the accounting officers to update their payrolls. 

“They should initiate steps to recover amounts irregularly paid. I have also brought this matter to the investigative agencies of the government for appropriate follow-up,” Muwanga explained. 

On the Parish Development Model (PDM), the Auditor General said that during the financial years 2022/2023, the Ministry of Finance budgeted for 10,594 parishes instead of the 10,717 parishes gazetted by the Ministry of Local Government in June 2022 resulting in 123 parishes missing out on the programmes this was further observed in the financial year 2023/24 where 118 parishes were not considered. 

Muwanga noted that 6,911 PDM SACCOS in 138 local governments disbursed sh478b (58%) out of the funds received of sh820b leaving sh342b (42%) undisbursed by the end of the financial year 2022/23.

Relatedly, sh6.2b for 62 PDM SACCOS in Kampala City Council Authority had not been disbursed. 

Muwanga discovered that there were ineligible and non-existent PDM enterprises. In 68 local governments, 604 beneficiaries in 242 PDM SACCOs had implemented ineligible projects while in 20 local governments, 53 beneficiaries in 44 PDM SACCOs had non-existent projects. 

Speaker Among said that it is an established tradition that every January we receive the report of the Auditor General on the audited accounts of the Government for the previous Financial Year. 

Among commended the Auditor General for consistently and promptly executing his mandate prescribed in Article 163 (3) of the Constitution.

The submission of the report is in fulfilment of Article 163 (4) of the Constitution which requires the Auditor General to submit to Parliament annually a report of the accounts audited by him or her for the financial year immediately preceding. 

She said that the submission of this report marks the beginning of Parliamentary scrutiny for which I undertake to ensure timeliness in line with Article 163 (5) of the Constitution which requires Parliament to pronounce itself on the report of the Auditor General within six months.

She said the 10th Parliament has effectively prevented the accumulation of a backlog of unconsidered reports of the Auditor General. 

“As Parliament, we are committed to effectively playing our role in the Public Finance and Accountability cycle to enable greater transparency and accountability in the management of public resources”. 

“I urge the other players in the Public Finance and Accountability cycle to effectively play their roles too given that effective accountability requires collective effort. Parliament will designate Members to Standing Committees including the Public Accounts Committees. As such there will be no delay in the commencement of consideration of the reports that we will receive today. 

She appreciated the Auditor General for maintaining a fully functional Parliamentary liaison unit that renders effective support to the Public Accounts Committees. I hope for the continuity of this productive collaboration for the good of our country. 

Among thanked the Auditor General for submitting the reports and promised that as the head of the Legislature, she would undertake to cause their expeditious consideration by the relevant committees.