Lungu urges tighter control on public resources

By SIMON MUNTEMBAPRESIDENT Edgar Lungu says there is an urgent need to strengthen controls in the application and management of public service resources.Mr Lungu expressed concern at the huge financial resources that are either being misapplied or misappropriated in the public sector.President Lungu said this in Lusaka at State House yesterday when he swore in former director of finance at the Ministry of Finance Chibwe Mulonda as Controller of Internal Audit in the same ministry.President Lungu also swore in former Director of Finance at the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure Development Clare Mazimba as deputy Auditor General in charge of corporate services in the Office of the Auditor General.Mr Lungu urged both newly appointed officials to apply their audit skills and resolve the numerous audit queries that constantly appear in the Auditor General’s report.The President said he and Zambians expected them to perform exceptionally well within the confines of the laid down financial regulations.“I am confident that both of you are equal to your new tasks. However, let me emphasise the need for you to work extremely hard to help government reduce incidences of audit queries.“There is urgent need to tighten controls in the application and management of public service resources,” President Lungu said.The President also said it was at this critical time of Covid-19 that they should upscale their dedication to duty by ensuring prudent use of the meagre government resources and strict compliance with public finance management guidelines of which auditing played a significant role.And speaking to journalists after being sworn in, Mr Mulonda thanked the President for the appointment.Ms Mazimba pledged her support to the Auditor General’s Office, promising to work as a team to reduce audit queries.Later, President Lungu received 300 computers, 300, desks and 300 chairs from Huawei Zambia which had been donated to government secondary schools in the Copperbelt Province.