Public debt increase worries CAG
From CHRISTOPHER MAJALIWA in Dodoma, Wed Dec 1969 (Mhhh!)
DAILY NEWS
PUBLIC Debt has increased by 38 per cent from 7.6 tril/-recorded in 2008/2009 to 10.5 tril/-outstanding at the end of 2009/2010, the Controller and Auditor General,(CAG), Mr Ludovick Utouh said here on Tuesday.
Audits for the year 2009/2010 under the review has not shown positive improvement since it had some of weaknesses which resulted from non compliance with the regulations and lack of proper internal control system, Mr Utouh stressed.
CAG said the decision of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism change forest fees at lower rates than the predetermined tariffs enriched in the Forest Act (CAP act 323) and Forest Regulation of 2007 without the permission of the required authority led the government to suffer unnecessary loss of 800.9m/-.
Mr Utouh also said that payment amounting to 382bn/-was made without proper supporting documents to verify their authenticity and other 1.8bn/-were paid to ghost workers.
Regarding to revenue collection, the report indicates that Tanzania mainland closed with an actual collection of 4.6tril/-against an approved estimates of 5.0 tril/ resulting into the collection of only 391bn/-.
According to Mr Utouh, Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) revenue statements reported tax exemptions of 680bn/-equivalent to 14.7 per cent of total collection.
It was however, noted that if there would not be exemption, total collection would have amounted to 5.3 tril.
The Chairman of Public Organizations Audit Committee, Mr Zitto Kabwe commended the National Audit Office and the CAG for the work well done, saying that he would ensure that the opinions in the reports were put into practice.