Lupari wants visibility on public finance improved

By LUKE KAMA
CHIEF Secretary Isaac Lupari has urged the Finance Department to ensure Section 32 officers produce financial statements annually and submit them for vetting before they are made public.
Lupari said during the launching of a five-year (2018 to 2022) plan for the Finance Department there was a lack of “visibility” in the management of public finance.
Section 32 officers are the head of State agencies or secretaries of departments.
They are allowed to not comply with any ministerial directive which is unlawful or contrary to the guidelines of the Public Finance Management Act.
He commended Finance Secretary Dr Ken Ngangan “for the many significant reforms undertaken to improve the transparency, accountability and efficiency of our public finance management”.
“One thing I would like us to also improve on is the lack of visibility of public finance by our citizens,” Lupari said.
“The Finance Secretary and his department can introduce reforms so that all Section 32 officers must provide annual financial statements at the end of every year.”
Lupari said the reports must be vetted by the department and made public.
He said the “lack of visibility of public finance by the people” had drawn negativity about the good things the government was doing.
“I as the Chief Secretary must produce annual financial reports of my office, vetted by Finance and have that report made available to the public so they know where I spent taxpayer’s money. Similar to all other agencies,” Lupari said.