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Parliament demands Air Zimbabwe audit

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AirZim board has been urged to speed up its audit process after Parliament last week expressed concern that the institution was last audited in 2010.

THE Air Zimbabwe (AirZim) board has been urged to speed up its audit process after Parliament last week expressed concern that the institution was last audited in 2010.

SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER

Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Accounts Paurina Mpariwa (MDC-T) raised the issue in the National Assembly on Thursday saying it was imperative for the Transport and Infrastructural Development ministry to ensure the institution had up to date audit reports as required by the Public Finance Management Act.

Deputy Transport minister Petronella Kagonye told the House that her ministry was aware of the issue and had instructed the board to expedite the process. “The ministry is very concerned that Air Zimbabwe is behind with its audited accounts and has formally instructed the board to speed up the audit process,” Kagonye said.

“In this regard, the Air Zimbabwe board, through the Auditor-General, has since floated a tender for preparation of external audits for Air Zimbabwe Holdings and its subsidiaries,” she said.

Kagonye said the audit reports to be produced would cover the three-year period ending last year.

“By the end of 2014 the airline will be compliant as required by the Public Finance Management Act of 2009.

The airline faced viability and other challenges that severely affected operations between December 2011 and November 2012. These created serious backlogs that are now being cleared by a fully fledged finance division,” she said.

In March this year, Transport minister Obert Mpofu ordered the Air Zimbabwe board to oversee the extended forensic audit of the national airline, specifically focusing on all contracts and lease agreements signed by the ousted Ozias Bvute-led board between March and December 2013.

Mpofu said he had problems with the arrangement of certain contracts and leasing of planes, some human resources personalities employed, the airline pay structure, tenders that were awarded and other corporate governance issues.