IN efforts to curb embezzlement and loss of public funds, the government has announced plan to train accounting officers and internal auditors in all district councils to enhance their performance.
The Deputy Minister of State, President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PORALG), David Silinde told the House here on Monday that the government had already allocated fund for the plan to be implemented in the 2022/2023 financial year.
Mr Silinde was responding to a supplementary question by Vwawa (MP) Japhet Hasunga (CCM) who wanted to know government plans of training all accounting officers and internal auditors so that they can be equipped with skills and knowledge to help them control theft of public funds and in preparing financial reports .
The deputy minister said that the government has trained of 210 staff in 2021/2022 on how to prepare financial reports of the year ending on June 30, 2022.
“The beneficiaries of the training were accounting officers and internal auditors at regional level and district councils,” he said.
He said that the government is committed to allocate more budget for training and will be distributed in all councils basing on their needs. “Our aim is to ensure that we contain theft of fund in our councils,” he said.
Mr Hasunga said he was concerned that the number of workers who benefited from the training was small compared to the number of district councils in the country.
Mr Silinde further explained that the government started with the 210 staff but the aim is to reach all accounting officers and internal auditors in all councils.
“We have increased the budget for the purpose in the next financial year to ensure that all the targeted personnel receive the training so that they can fulfil the intended objectives,” he said.
He further said that the government has continued taking measures to improve Local Authority Accounting Manual 2020 and other guidelines which aimed at reminding public institutions on basic issues to be considered and provide guidance to returning and accounting officers when executing their duties including preparation of annual financial reports.
Commenting on councils which have continued getting qualified opinion, the deputy minister said that the government has come up with a new system where by all people implicated in the Controller and Auditor General report are dismissed to improve accountability instead of transferring them to other areas.
He added that the government will also ensure that it employs people with integrity so that they can assist in efforts to fight the vice.
In her basic question Special Seats MP Grace Tendega (CCM) wanted to know government plans to train returning and accounting officers on how to prepare annual financial reports for councils.