The Sunday News
THE Government has reportedly come under fire after reportedly ordering councils to foot the bill to pay off auditors doing a full inventory of council wage bills, it has been learnt.
In a communiqué to all local authorities, a Mr R Kujinga, a deputy auditor-general in the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, advised all local authorities that the office had instructed the councils’ sitting auditors to carry out the audit exercise on behalf of the auditor-general, with the councils mandated to meet the costs of the audit.
“Following the Cabinet’s request that remuneration audits of the above stated entities be undertaken, I have appointed the sitting auditors to carry out the audit on my behalf.
“The exercise will be undertaken during the period July 2014 to September 2014 please give the auditors your maximum support during this special exercise. The cost of the audit shall be borne by yourselves,” read part of the letter.
In Bulawayo, Ernst and Young Chartered Accountants had been seconded to carry out the audit at a cost of $62 959, a figure which the local authority was requesting to be revised downwards.
“The auditor-general’s office had advised that the remuneration audit would be done by Ernst and Young Chartered Accountants, who were the sitting auditors, at the cost of $62 959,00, which figure had apparently been revised downwards from $94 371,65. Council had not been advised of the reasons why the audit fees were revised to $62 959.
“Council had since written to the auditor-general requesting to negotiate the audit fees as it was felt that they were on the high side, however, should the auditor-general insist on payment of $62 959 council would therefore be required to pay that amount for the remuneration audit to be done” read the latest council report.
Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo said while the audit exercise did not fall under the jurisdiction of his ministry, he felt it was only natural for the councils to meet the cost as this was a wholesome exercise meant for the benefit of these very local authorities.
Efforts to get a comment from, Finance Minister, Cde Patrick Chinamasa or the auditor-general, Ms Mildred Chiri proved fruitless as both their mobile phones were not reachable.
