By Frank Kamuntu
Parliament is set to commence scrutiny of the Auditor General’s report for the financial year 2022/2023, highlighting a loss of 6.72 billion attributed to payments for ghost employees.
These ‘ghost employees’ include individuals who have already retired, deceased, or discontinued their services.
The 2023 validation exercise identified 1,818 ghost workers, impacting the consolidated fund. This occurs alongside the Parish Development Model, revealing that more than 604 beneficiaries in different PDM SACCOS had ineligible and non-existent projects.
The troubling findings were presented to the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, who has pledged to address the issue within a six-month window. This glaring discrepancy in the government’s payroll management has sparked a wave of concern regarding the efficacy and supervision of public expenditure.
The report further delves into myriad financial malpractices within various government ministries and departments. It spotlights instances of irregularities and a concerning lack of proper documentation for substantial financial transactions.
The financial year of 2022 ended with serious questions hanging over the transparency and accountability of these transactions, particularly when significant sums of money were withdrawn without any supporting documents. This necessitates a thorough investigation and imposition of accountability to ensure the responsible management of public funds.
