38 Districts To Face Probe
Jun 30, 2003
PARLIAMENT is to probe 38 districts over funds unaccounted for under the School Facilitation Grant (SFG) amounting to sh23.9b.
By Henry Mukasa
PARLIAMENT is to probe 38 districts over funds unaccounted for under the School Facilitation Grant (SFG) amounting to sh23.9b. This is after the Auditor General’s report indicated that the districts refused to account for money remitted to them from 1999 to-date.
The parliamentary local government accounts committee resolved yesterday to summon chief administrative officers (CAOs) of the affected districts and answer why they have not accounted for public funds.
But first, the MPs have summoned the permanent secretaries of the Ministry of Finance, education and sports and local government to jointly appear before the committee.
The finance permanent secretary, Chris Kassami, will be grilled on why the ministry continues to remit money to districts, which have not submitted accountability. F.X. Lubanga of Education will explain the criteria used to award contracts, make payments and inspection under the project.
The MPs were angered by a requirement by the ministry that contractors under SFG must be local, using local materials. They say this has resulted in districts contracting companies that do poor work.
The local government PS will answer on what the inspectorate department of the ministry has done about the poor quality work under the project implemented at local government level.
The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament recommended that remission of SFG funds be re-centralised to halt “the generated unprecedented levels of corruptionâ€.
But members of the local government accounts committee said re-centralising the project was not in consonance with the Local Government Act and was no solution to the problem.
They agreed to probe individual CAOs, ask for accountability and that those who fail to comply be punished.
“The few districts which have failed to account should be punished instead of a blanket recommendation engulfing all districts,†said Ntungamo MP Beatrice Rwakimara.
Ends
PARLIAMENT is to probe 38 districts over funds unaccounted for under the School Facilitation Grant (SFG) amounting to sh23.9b. This is after the Auditor General’s report indicated that the districts refused to account for money remitted to them from 1999 to-date.
The parliamentary local government accounts committee resolved yesterday to summon chief administrative officers (CAOs) of the affected districts and answer why they have not accounted for public funds.
But first, the MPs have summoned the permanent secretaries of the Ministry of Finance, education and sports and local government to jointly appear before the committee.
The finance permanent secretary, Chris Kassami, will be grilled on why the ministry continues to remit money to districts, which have not submitted accountability. F.X. Lubanga of Education will explain the criteria used to award contracts, make payments and inspection under the project.
The MPs were angered by a requirement by the ministry that contractors under SFG must be local, using local materials. They say this has resulted in districts contracting companies that do poor work.
The local government PS will answer on what the inspectorate department of the ministry has done about the poor quality work under the project implemented at local government level.
The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament recommended that remission of SFG funds be re-centralised to halt “the generated unprecedented levels of corruptionâ€.
But members of the local government accounts committee said re-centralising the project was not in consonance with the Local Government Act and was no solution to the problem.
They agreed to probe individual CAOs, ask for accountability and that those who fail to comply be punished.
“The few districts which have failed to account should be punished instead of a blanket recommendation engulfing all districts,†said Ntungamo MP Beatrice Rwakimara.
Ends