Treasury staff warned not to entertain inflated claims

FINANCE Minister James Marape is warning treasury officers not to entertain inflated claims, especially in districts.
“No public servants in the provincial and district treasury offices should allow claims over and above what had been submitted for the payment of government services,” he said.
Marape issued the warning after receiving complaints from MPs on district and provincial treasury officers processing inflated claims, which depleted funds for the Provincial Services Improvement Programme and District Services Improvement Programme deposited into provincial and district treasury accounts.
Marape said about 30 per cent of Government funds was allocated to the provincial and district treasury offices. Treasury Officers use it to pay traveling allowances for officers moving around delivering government services.
Menyamya MP Thomas Pelika said treasury officers in his district were processing inflated claims.
He said his K3 million District Services Improvement Programme funds received so far this year had vanished without any tangible development in the district.