Melo Media, Wednesday, 9th November, 2023
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has called upon the Smart Zambia National Coordinator to appear before them regarding the issue of under collection of revenue. This matter was highlighted in the Report of the Auditor General for the financial year that concluded on December 31, 2022.
Mr. Warren Mwambazi, the chairperson of the committee and Member of Parliament for Bwana Mukubwa, questioned the measures in place to prevent the strain on the Treasury caused by underperforming State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in terms of revenue collection.
During the committee meeting, Chavuma MP Mr. Victor Lumayi questioned the accuracy of the Ministry’s revenue projections, while Chadiza MP Mr. Jonathan Daka expressed his dissatisfaction with the deviations in revenue collection projections. The committee deemed these deviations to be unacceptable and called for further investigation.
In his response, Mr. Chisenda the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning explained that the Ministry’s revenue collection projections were made using assumptions, past performance data, and information provided by revenue collecting institutions.
The Ministry has stated that they are working to ensure that any variations in revenue collection projections are kept within acceptable levels in order to maintain public confidence.
Mufulira MP, Mr. Golden Mwila, raised concerns about the accuracy of revenue projections from state institutions compared to private citizens.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has requested the presence of Mr. Percy Chinyama, the Smart Zambia National Coordinator, to address concerns regarding the under collection of revenue and the implementation of the Government Service Bus. Mr. Chinyama has been summoned to provide explanations and respond to the queries raised by the committee.
Committee Chairperson Mr. Warren Mwambazi stated that there are operational issues in the implementation of the Government Service Bus that need to be addressed by Smart Zambia and all parties involved. They are expected to provide explanations and answer questions regarding the matter.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has summoned the Smart Zambia National Coordinator, as well as other entities involved in the project, including ZICTA, Immigration, Zambia Police, and the National Registration Office. The summons is in relation to the under collection of revenue and the committee’s investigation into the matter.
The Government Service Bus was implemented as a means to enhance public service delivery by utilizing digital technology.
The Smart Zambia initiative aims to improve revenue collection and enhance the efficiency of service delivery in government institutions through the use of a centralized portal.
