Africa-Press – Zambia. The Auditor General has flagged wasteful expenditure of nearly K4 million by TAZAMA Pipelines Limited following the procurement of a non-functional agricultural drone.
According to the latest Auditor General’s Report on Selected Parastatal Bodies and other institutions for the Financial year ended December 31st,2024, TAZAMA paid US$103,600, equivalent to K1,785,138.53, as a 100 percent advance payment for shipping the drone.
An additional K439,188 was paid as customs clearing charges, bringing the total cost of the drone to K2,224,327.
A review of the Bill of Lading shows that the drone was shipped from Hong Kong on 31 July 2022 and arrived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in December 2022.
However, the drone was later found to be non-functional.
In response, a combined team of selected Board members and staff travelled to China from 17 to 23 November 2024 to engage the manufacturer, incurring K1,770,297 in allowances and related costs.
The Auditor General established that the sales company which supplied the drone was liquidated in 2022, with its owner having relocated to the United States of America.
The report further notes that the drone was of a military-grade nature, making it difficult to access the manufacturer, which produces military equipment for China and export markets.
A physical verification conducted in September 2025 revealed that the drone and its camera were still kept in storage at TAZAMA’s Kigamboni Tank Farm and had never been utilised.
In total, the Auditor General concluded that K3,994,624 covering the cost of the drone and allowances paid to Board members and staff constituted wasteful expenditure, and recommended that the asset be impaired in the company’s financial records.- Diamond TV
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