Ifmis still leaky, can be breached for another Cashgate – Auditor General

 Audit General’s Office has observed that the current Integrated Financial Management Information Systems (IFMIS)- a technical solution to deter corruption in public finance management – being used in the country has a lot of shortfalls which need to be looked into.

Auditor General Stevenson Kamphasa made the observation during the interface meeting between Oxfam and Public Accounts Committee members as they presented Auditor General’sReport Analysis on Wednesday at Sunbird Capital Hotel in Lilongwe.

He explained that the current IMFIS was supposed to take 15 modules but the current one is only using eight are being used.

“If you take eight and leave seven it means so many challenges are coming to play, we will be encountered in the process and you will not be able to perform certain activities the system is supposed to doing,” Kamphasa stated.

He said government has bought new platform and equipment for the new system but audit office is yet to assess it if is in conformity with the current trends.

Kamphasa said issues of Budget analysis and expenditure are some of the areas in which IFMIS supposed to deal with because there are a lot of shortfalls.

The Auditor General pointed out that the issue of procurement should be seamless right from signing of contracts, time of payment and this should be done electronically.

He hoped the new systems would be able to address the challenge that have been highlighted and avoid old mistakes.

Kamphasa described the report as an eye opener to them and being able to single out some of the shortfall within the auditing system.

Interim Country Director of Oxfam, Lingalireni Mihowa said it pleasing that Auditor General and Public Accounts Chair that they have been able to clear the backlog and books are now in order.

She said the 2017 audit and report has been completed, treasury meeting and PAC summarizes are up to 2016.

“I think this is very good progress and we must commend them for that.  At least in term of thatconcern, when we were present to them in March, 2018 that has been sufficiently addressed,” Mihowa added.

Chaipreon of Public Accounts Committee, Alekeni Menyani said his committee has made sure that all theauidt backlogs have been completed.

He said despite having challenges of finance to address, development partners have played a very big role in supporting the whole process.    

“We are still facing challenges to do audits with District Council because this is where a lot of funds are. We need to audit District Development Fund (DDF) Local Development fund (LDF) Community Development Fund (CDF) and the newly K4 billion fund,” Menyani pointed out.

In 2013, between April and September, about K24 billion was discovered to have been stolen from the public purse whereas between 2009 and 2014 about K236 billion could not be accounted for.

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