PAC orders Labour Ministry PS to pay pack K730, 000 Covid-19 funds used as allowance

“People must be punished for such irresponsible actions.’

Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has ordered Secretary for ministry of labour to refund a sum of 730, 000 kwacha Covid 19 funds that were used to pay allowances for non Covid19 activity that took place in Salima for two days.

According to the Secretary for Labour Dickson Chunga, this was a Tripartite Labour Advisory meeting which the former Minister of Labour Ken Kandodo and his deputy attended.

He says, the ministry used 730, 000 Kwacha to pay allowances to the Drivers and security officers for the former minister and his deputy.

The other money was used to pay allowance to the Accountant, Public Relations Officer for the ministry and journalists who covered the function.

But the Committee has faulted the ministry for diverting the money to non covid19 related issues and has since given the Secretary one month to refund the money.

“This is wrong. It is sad that people are careless with public funds. Its high time people gets punished for such irresponsible actions.’ said a member of the committee who did not want to be identified.

The PAC member said this kind of behaviour of borrowing money from a public pulse and use it for something other than the intended purpose is not only a abuse of power but also criminal in nature.

“People who do this, normally they do it to defraud the government. We cannot continue doing this. We have to stop this once and for all,” said the Parliamentarian.