Zimbabwe’s Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Accounts has grilled the Economic Planning and Investment Promotion Ministry’s Permanent secretary, Dr Desire Sibanda, over 208.73 USD which the Ministry failed to account for last year.

An audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General revealed the shortfall in the ministry?s accounts.

Sibanda told the committee that the money had been used to fund emergency situations although there were no receipts to support the expenditure.

He explained that during the early days of the adoption of multi currencies, government ministries were required to maintain a budget for paying running expenses.

“In line with the requirement, accounting officers kept the funds for that short duration.
Receipts were issued on the drawings made. Any discrepancies were due to emergency food items and transport costs for senior staff and senior management,? he said.

Members of the committee told Sibanda that as a holder of a PHD in accounting, he should know better and ensure that public funds were properly accounted for.

Sibanda told the committee that a new accounting system had since been put in place to ensure checks and balances.

The committee also quizzed Energy and Power Development Ministry Permanent Secretary Justin Mupamhanga over a barter trade deal the ministry was involved in two years ago.

The committee, which Mt Darwin East Member of Parliament Betty Chikava chairs, said the Comptroller and Auditor General had discovered that the ministry had exchanged 700 litres of diesel and 2,225 litres of petrol for servicing vehicles without authorization from the Treasury.

Mupamhanga replied that at the time the ministry did not have any other option but to barter trade as the government did not have foreign currency in its reserves. This was at a time when the country was in a hyper-inflationary environment, he said.

“Condonation was sought and it was granted soon after the deal,? Mupamhanga said, adding approval could not be sought beforehand as it took a long time to be granted while prices were going up every day.

Chikava said it was important that ?every cent? of public funds be accounted for.