National Water promotes financial accountability-FiRe Awards Supplement

By Oyet Okwera       

One of the requirements of all public corporations is to be accountable to the public at any time. That explains why National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) has come out firmly to promote financial accountability among its customers. During the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU) Financial Reporting (FiRe) awards in November, NWSC won a silver medal.

The ICPAU awards were presided over by Mrs. Maria Kiwanuka, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. They recognised efforts by different companies in best practices of financial reporting, a cornerstone for good accountability in both private and public sectors.

Alfred Okot Okidi, chief manager finance and accountant at NWSC says the corporation strives to ensure there is transparency and accountability to the public.
 
“Our desire is to present timely financial and operational information in such a manner that is appreciated by all stakeholders. Our annual reports are detailed and simplified and we give unlimited access to our statutory reports through our websites and public libraries,” explains Okidi.

He says NWSC has automated its processes and gone real time to improve efficiency and accuracy through adopting electronic solutions for water and sewerage services aimed at easing burden of payments on the customers. The corporation also decentralised operations, finance and human resource functions to all the areas to facilitate field operations.

“Our staff have liberty to carry out innovative measures to meet the demand of customers without recourse to head office. We set up governance and obtained ISO certification and we are ACCS accredited employer,” he says.

In the field of financing NWSC has structured a blended financing module that combined loans with concessional funding and grants to increase the funding basket.

Resources were devoted to train, groom and mentor staff members; across the country and NWSC has over 20 Chartered Accountants in their finance and internal audit functions, registered engineers

According to Okidi, many channels have been opened to ease payments of water through E-water solutions and customers can pay through banks and get instant notification.

 Pheona Wall, the principle public relations officer  says the corporation has subsidised and simplified making new water and sewerage connections which were punctuated by bureaucracy.

The main challenge faced by the corporation is illegal usage of water, old infrastructures in Kampala and huge capital expenditure demand. However, Wall says the corporation has formed and equipped specialised teams that are unearthing the illegal connections. The perpetrators are fined while the others have been lined up for distress and prosecution in the courts of law.