PAC grills Education Perm Sec

THE Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has wondered why Ministry of General Education Permanent Secretary for Administration Jabbin Mulwanda has appeared again this year over audit queries when he had assured last year of either reduced or zero irregularities going forward.

PAC chairperson, Howard Kunda, was taken aback to see Dr Mulwanda appearing before the committee again this year because of the numerous irregularities in the Ministry of General Education cited in the latest Auditor General’s Report.

“PS, we have seen and we know that you have been on record when you appeared before this committee and you promised that you were not going to be seen here with so many irregularities. And from page one to page 13, we have seen that there are failures. When are these failures going to stop?” Mr Kunda said.

Mr Kunda, who is Muchinga

Member of Parliament, said he expected management at Ministry of General of Education to deal with failures so that they did not resurface.

“Last year, we were talking about the same failures, this year, we are talking about the same failures. Why is it that this ministry, we are continuously seeing these failures? Why, PS?” he said.

Milenge MP, Mwansa Mbulakulima, wondered if the recommendation to have two Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry of General Education was serving its purposes because irregularities had continued.

Mr Mbulakulima asked Dr Mulwanda what should be done at the mMinistry to bring a stop to irregularities.

“Last year, we saw many accountants being dismissed. This year, it’s going the same direction. What kind of ministry is this?!” Mr Mbulakulima wondered.

In response, Dr Mulwanda admitted that he had previously promised to act on the irregularities and that signs were there to that effect.