Kamlepo orders Malawi govt to reinstate Auditor General removed budget

Co-chair of a joint Public Accounts Committee and Budget Committee Kamlepo Kalua has ordered the government to immediately reinstate a US$30 million budget for office complex for the National Audit.

Kalua made the order on Wednesday when Auditor Genneral Stevenson Kamphasa appeared before the committee in a parliamentary cluster meeting.

Kamphasa complained that the current office complex in Lilongwe is dilapidated and was condemned four years ago.

He however said Ministry of Finance officials keep on removing a budget for the construction of the office complex which would also act as a training centre.

The Auditor General said for three years running, the ministry had been removing the office complex budget.

“The headquarters office building, for instance, was condemned by experts from the Buildings Department four years ago, yet we continue to occupy it despite the obvious risks. Unfortunnately, the ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has failed to secure accomodation for the office,” said Kamphasa.

He also said similarly, the Zomba office is in deplorable condition because it was not purpose built for office.

The committee members greatly sympathised with the National Audit officials on the matter prompting Kalua to ask officials from the ministry of Finance why they remove the budget for the office complex.

They said officials from the Economic Planning and Development would be better placed to respond, prompting the official to seek the response from the department which should be furnished to the committee by  Thursday.

Kamphasa also said Zomba regional office has faced massive encroachment and asked for K324 million for a brick fence.