The department of works in the Ministry of Works and Transport has been found with discrepancies of N.dollars 273 737 involving eight staff members during the 2021/2022 financial year.

A report of the Auditor General tabled in Parliament recently indicated that the discrepancies of N.dollars 68 647 was found between the principal debt reported by the accounting officer and the documents submitted for audit purposes for eight staff members.

It said eight staff members with a total debt balance of N.dollars 189 205 was reported at the end April 2021, however, the audit found that there was no recovery of these debts during the financial year.

It equally indicated that a discrepancy of N.dollars 15 888 was found in the reported amounts recovered from staff members during the financial year under review.

“It was recommended that the accounting officer should ensure that correct information is provided for audit purposes,” it read.

Meanwhile, the report also indicated that the department has received a qualified audit opinion, noting a total budget for the department of works was underspent with an amount of N.dollars 20 382 587, representing 3.5 per cent.

“This money could have been utilised for other projects. The accounting officer should put measures in place to avoid under expenditure and should ensure that all planned programmes are implemented,” the report recommended.

The report further noted the unauthorised expenditure of eight subdivisions for a total amount of N.dollars 633 080 during the period under review.

“It is recommended that the accounting officer should closely monitor and review the financial position of the department on a continuous basis and take appropriate action timeously to avoid unauthorised expenditure in future,” it said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency