Explain aircraft hire, demands Tonga

WE are giving the Ministry of Lands a seven-day ultimatum to explain circumstances surrounding the hiring of an aircraft for unknown purposes failure to which we will protest, Enock Tonga has demanded.

According to the 2018 uditor ener l s report the Ministry of Lands has been cited for misapplication of land development funds.

The report says the total funds available for land development in 2018 amounted to K25,979,654 comprising a brought forward balance from 2017 of K2,229,654 and an amount of K23,750,000 which was transferred to the account for the Fund by the Ministry during the year under review.

“Out of the available amount of K25, 979, 654 only K16,378,349 was utilised, leaving a balance of K9,601,305. As at December 31 2018, the land development fund account had a balance of

K2,862,471 while the amount of K6,738,834 was applied on unrelated activities such as hire of aircraft, the Trade Fair and rehabilitation works,” reads the report in part.

The report says it was not clear why the Ministry did not utilise all the funds on land development, as only 12 councils received that funding on account that there were

insufficient funds

But speaking to the Daily Nation yesterday,

Mr. Tonga, who is 3RD Liberation Movement (3RD LM) president, demanded an explanation on what the hired aircraft was used for, whether the tender process was followed in sourcing the airliner and why the ministry lied about the availability of the funds for land development to the council.

e ueried the ministr s

move to reject applications for funds by some councils for land development on account that there were no funds yet money was made readily available yet it had the luxury of hiring an aircraft which was not budgeted for.

“We are giving the ministry a seven-day ultimatum to explain circumstances surrounding the hiring of this aircraft, whether they opened bids for this huge tender, and who authorised that an undertaking not budgeted for must be funded ahead of the land development programme which was budgeted for.