AfricaPress-Tanzania: RUKWA Regional Commissioner (RC) Joachim Wangabo has directed a special audit on the dubious expenditure of over 1.5 bn/-.
The RC directed Rukwa Regional Administrative Secretary (RAS) Benard Makali to assign the office of Controller and Auditor General (CAG) to conduct such audit.
He explained that out of aforementioned dubious payment of over 660m/- was meant for purchasing equipment for the construction of a district hospital.
The government has already released over 4.5bn/- for the construction of three district health facilities in small towns of Namanyere (Nkasi), Matai (Kalambo) and Mtowisa Village along the Lake Rukwa Rift Valley in Sumbawanga District.
Mr Wangabo revealed that over 885m/- had been swindled by village and ward executive officers being domestic revenue they had collected in their respective councils during 2018/19 and 2019/20 fiscal years.
He warned that stern measures would be taken against the culprits, including arresting and prosecuting them.
“CAG reports show that domestic revenue amounting to 376,197,050 /- collected during 2018/19 and 509,033,302/- during 2019/2020 was not deposited in bank accounts,” he noted.
Mr Wangabo further explained that, over 1.5b/- alleged to have been swindled by dishonest civil servants had paralysed the accomplishment of key development projects.
The money could have helped to finish the construction of 176 classrooms of primary schools and 35 of secondary schools…..as well as 21 staff quarters in primary schools and five in secondary schools in our region,” the RC said.
In addition to that the RC said other key areas to be audited included dubious payment of 660,063,745/-, which was set aside for the rehabilitation of tree district health facilities.
The money was neither preliminary audited nor the figures entered into ledger books were contrary to regulations No 244 and 245 of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) of 2013.
