Auditor General needs sh19b to clear backlog

Apr 25, 2014

The Office of the Auditor General requires additional funding of sh19.19b to clear audit backlog for lower Local Governments and schools.

By Umaru Kashaka    

The Office of the Auditor General requires additional funding of sh19.19b to clear audit backlog for lower Local Governments and schools.

They accumulated over time to 4, 942 due to inadequate funding, the Auditor General, John Muwanga, told legislators on Thursday.

He made the appeal during the consideration of his office’s policy statement for the financial year 2014/15 before the parliamentary committee on finance.  

Muwanga explained that sh2.9b will clear audit backlog of 1,168 sub-counties for the financial year 2012/13, sh681m for audit of 681 sub-counties for financial year 2013/14 which were mot catered for under the current financial year, sh4b for auditing 997 for secondary schools and tertiary institutions for 2012/13 financial year, and sh5b for clearing that of 1,197 secondary schools and tertiary institutions for the 2012/13 financial year.

“Sh4b will clear the backlog of 897 secondary schools and tertiary institutions for financial year 2013/14, sh391m to audit two public partnership projects and sh347m for cost recovery reviews,” he added.

In the next financial year, he noted, his office requires a total budget of sh92.302b including taxes but was only allocated sh41.606b. Sh17.734b for wages,  non-wage sh23.012b and development of sh0.860b, leaving a funding gap of sh50.696b.

He told the committee chaired by Kyadondo North MP, Robert Sebunya, that sh17b out of sh92.302b total budget, will go for the completion of the Audit House that was expected to be completed by June 2014.

“According to the original contract, the project was expected to be completed by June 2014. However, due to adjustments in project scope, and prime cost sum adjustments, the project duration and budget were affected and as a result, the contract price was revised to sh60b from sh4b and the competition date extended to November 2014,” he explained.

The committee vowed to support the Auditor General’s office in ensuring it gets the necessary funds to be able it carry out its oversight function over public resources and efficient delivery of services.

“Your performance has been good and we shall support you in ensuring you get enough funds in the next financial year. But we want you to have more than fifty value for money audits and move away from financial audits that have failed to end the rampant corruption in the government departments,” Budadiri West MP Nandala Mafabi implored.


 

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