“Missing” Sh1.5trillion: Bunge committee rules out, Zitto questions

Dodoma.  The debate on the whereabouts of Sh1.5 trillion that was claimed to be missing took a fresh turn on Friday February 1 as the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) cleared the government of any wrong doing.

The Sh1.5trillion saga emerged after the Kigoma Urban MP (ACT-Wazelendo) Zitto Kabwe called a press conference in Dodoma last year and claimed that the money was missing upon his analysis of the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) report of 2016/17.

 Ziito’s findings were echoed by a section of members of parliament—largely from the opposition—who endlessly sought clarification on the whereabouts of the money.

Mr Zitto said he had read the CAG’s report and found that in the year ear under review, the actual revenue collected by the government from the identified sources amounted to Sh25.3 trillion and spent Sh23.7 trillion, leaving Sh1.5 trillion unaccounted for.

The matter generated a heated debate in media, forcing the government to issue a ban on discussing about the “missing trillions.” President John Magufuli, at one point asked the CAG to speak out, during a State House event, and tell the public if the money had gone missing or not. He said, “There is nothing like that.”

Since then, parliament had resolved to verify the claims through official channels.

On Friday, February 1 in Dodoma,  the PAC chairperson Ms Naghenjwa Kaboyoka said that after the CAG conducted a verification exercise, he established that there was no single cent missing.

She said the Ministry of Finance had taken to the CAG the accounting adjustments, of which after full reconciliation it was discovered that no money was missing.  

 “The difference of Sh1.5 trillion resulted from factors such as differences in information reviewed and adjustments passed by management,” Ms Naghenjwa said quoting the CAG.

However, the move by PAC has been strongly criticized by Kigoma Urban MP (ACT-Wazelendo) Zitto Kabwe on the grounds that the committee’s stance was questionable.

Mr Kabwe, who also doubles as ACT-Wazelendo leader, said the CAG report presented to the committee indicated that some Sh976 billion out of Sh1.5 trillion was released over and above the allocated fund without approval.

 “This is still confusing,” Mr Kabwe told the August House.

 He was echoed by a number of the lawmakers, who said the government had no power to utilize money without the approval of lawmakers and consulting the CAG, saying in so doing was a breach of law.