Audit Security Spending

THE PUBLIC Accounts Committee is working hard to have classified defence expenditure subject to audit. MPs point out that in 1998/9 over 11bn/- of classified expenditure went unaudited. The MPs are absolutely right to zoom in on this issue. Everyone in Uganda should be accountable to someone. Even low-level security expenditure such as purchasing rations remains classified creating opportunities for fraud and inefficiency. The MPs should seek to have all such ‘classified’ security expend. However the MPs should also define highly sensitive ‘top secret’ expenditure that can be subject to a more restricted audit by specially vetted external auditors. Ends