“NDRMC is subject to audit findings”

Government expenses management and supervision standing committee of the House of Peoples’ Representatives of the FDRE, in its recent evaluation conducted on the National Disaster and Risk Management Commissions’ budget utilization of the quarter-year of 2011/12 E.C. said; “The commission is subject to audit findings”.

Accordingly, the standing committee of the House forwarded demanding questions to be responded by the Commissioner Mitiku Kassa. “Why did the commission fail to provide appropriate receipts for its purchase of wheat, nutrient foods and vehicle seats along with their wear in 1 point 9 billion Eth Birr, as to the audit finding?” was the first question.

The standing committee again indicated, the commission couldn’t provide the detailed receipt for the 1 point 3 billion Eth Birr tax expenditure submitted to the Revenues and Customs Authority of the country.

“The commission, being against the procurement regulation of the federal government, purchased vehicle tyres, plastic sheets, edible oil and milk in more than 5 hundred 44 million Eth Birr. Moreover, it purchased other things in 5 hundred 56 million Eth Birr without a notice for bid just from one company”, another audit finding shows.

The standing committee mentioned an additional audit finding that says; the commission failed to back with a financial deduction evidence, the per diem money paid for the commission’s employees, which exceeds 6 hundred 8 million Eth Birr. The commission also failed to provide an appropriate payment voucher for 8 hundred 6 point 5 million Eth Birr that it paid for wage, ware houses rent and for the money it disseminated for regions usually facing rain-water shortage, as to the other major finding.

The recent imports of industrial inputs such as minerals and vitamins being conducted solely by the logistics department of the commission without the prior consent and order of the Commissioner, which also are carried-out without any procurement act, is also sanctioned by the standing committee of the House.

Generally, the committee condemned the commission for its failures to provide appropriate evidences for 18 audit findings out of the 21. It reminded the commission to look after its financial expenditures cautiously.

The auditor-general on his part said; obviously, the commission has short-comings in the system for managing resources that it gained from the government. Accordingly, the auditor-general warned the commission to be more curious from now onwards considering the accountability due to the responsibility vested upon it.

Commissioner Mitiku Kassa responded to the demanding questions forwarded from the standing committee intended for verification. For the first one, he said; the original receipts are in the ware houses and hence, the commission is conducting the monitoring and supervision tasks regarding the case.

“It is well-known that the commission is supporting vulnerable regions with all the logistics including the financial aids. Yet, the purchase performed astray to the procurement regulation was caused by some hasty actions of the commission”, the Commissioner added.

He elaborated, the receipts for whatever purchases executed for regional states are available at the respective office of the region. Apart from these points, Ato Mitiku welcomed all suggestions by the standing committee of the House and by auditor-general of the federal government of Ethiopia.

 Translated by Asrat Addisu