OPC acts tough on ministers

The Office of the President and Cabinet has directed that ministries should fund internal and external allowances for line ministers with immediate effect.

The decision comes at a time most ministries are struggling to finance their core work amid severe funding cuts as government is implementing a zero-aid budget with donors continuing to withhold budgetary support due to improprieties in the handling of public finances.

But chairperson of the parliamentary Budget and Finance Committee Rhino Chiphiko has branded the move as retrogressive as this responsibility was taken away from ministries because it was prone to abuses.

In a memo dated 6 August, Chief Secretary to the Government George Mkondiwa directed controlling officers to fund the travel expenses of ministers and their deputies.

“I wish to inform you that with immediate effect, the responsibility to pay external and local travel expenses for ministers and deputy ministers reverts to the respective ministries.

“The Office of the President and Cabinet will continue to manage Cabinet ministers’ and deputy ministers’ warfare rated matters which, among others, include the provision of housing, fuel and health policy insurance,” reads the memo in part.

But  Chiphiko has described the development as bad for the country and wondered what would happen to the funds that Parliament had allocated to OPC for ministers’ travel expenses.

“Most ministries will be affected as they are already struggling with the zero-aid budget. This [change] could be because OPC may have already exhausted the funding we gave them and all they want now is to heap their problems on line ministries,” he said.

“The way I know politicians, the controlling officers will have it tough with this arrangement. Can principal secretaries stop a minister from demanding more travel allowances or demanding allowances for a trip they have not undertaken?”

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance, Nations Msowoya, said his office would clarify the directive to Parliament during the mid-year review in November.

He parried aside suggestions that the new arrangement would face any challenges, saying the previous set-up created too much work for the OPC, hence the change.