BY PRIVELEDGE GUMBODETE A FINANCE ministry official yesterday stammered in Parliament as he struggled to explain how they swept under the carpet overexpenditure of US$9,6 billion in the period between 2015 and 2018 without legislative approval.
After spending without parliamentary approval, the Finance ministry has been delaying bringing condonation Bills for the overexpenditure before the House.
Last month, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube requested condonation of unauthorised expenditure of US$6,784 billion for 2019 and $100,7 billion for 2020.
On November 12, 2019, government introduced a Financial Adjustments Bill which sought condonation for illegal government expenditure during the years 2015 to 2018 totalling US$9 638 602 782.
The Bill was introduced in the National Assembly, but it never progressed to the Second Reading Stage. It then lapsed in October 2020 when the 2019-20 parliamentary sessions ended.
Yesterday, Finance ministry acting accountant general Edwin Zvandasara, who stood in for the ministry secretary George Guvamatanga, was grilled over the unsanctioned government expenditure. He said Guvamatanga failed to attend the committee meeting yesterday due to a COVID-19 scare.
Acting chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (Pac) Edwin Mushoriwa accused government of recklessly overspending and disregarding condonation rules by delaying submission of additional expenditure documents required by the Auditor-General (AG) to validate 2015 over-expenditure by two years.
Government said it submitted supporting documents for the amendment of Appropriation Accounts to the AG on the 13th of this month, of which the documents were supposed to be submitted way back in 2020.
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Kambuzuma MP Willias Madzimure added: “Is the ministry also saying we are going to continue spending money without condonation? That is the reason why the ministry did not ask for the 2015-2018 Bill to be reinstated because there was no effort on their part to do that. Even up to today, they haven’t, but they are now bringing another Bill in Parliament for condonation.”
Zvandasara struggled to respond to the questions.
“…those supporting documents are what we submitted on the 13th of July. Yes, the expectation is that when submitting accounts, there is need for supporting documents to support the audit, but the thinking was that the process would be done at the relevant ministries, but they requested it to be done at the central government level,” Zvandasara said.
Marondera Central MP Caston Matewu said government was not taking Parliament seriously.
“There is a worrying behavioural tendency Honourable chair. I don’t think this ministry is taking Parliament seriously. Their explanations and lack of preparedness, and the excuses from senior leadership are concerning. This is a serious matter which requires the secretary to come to explain. It is a pity the secretary (Guvamatanga) has interacted with someone who has COVID-19, but we hope we won’t see him running around in town.”
The committee then gave the Finance ministry seven days to give the AG’s Office all the documents it requires and to bring copies to Parliament.
MPs also summoned Guvamatanga to appear before the committee to explain the overexpenditures on August 14.
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