Mr. Speaker Sir, what is happening in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce is a reflection of what is happening in the country. There is nothing that is happening in the Ministry that is not happening countrywide. The issue that we must deal with in this country is the issue of corruption. We have a fantastic legal framework to deal with corruption. In case of finances, we have the Public Finance Management Act which is enshrined in our Constitution. It states how money that is appropriated to Ministries should be dealt with, how money should be accounted for and this is not happening.
Mr. Speaker Sir, all the accounting officers that have been summoned to the Portfolio Committee on Public Accounts have not lived up to the expectations of the Public Accounts Committee. They failed the test and recommendations are made by the Public Accounts Committee but these are ignored by Government, by the Executive. Mr. Speaker, there is need for political will in this country to deal with corruption. The problem that we are having in this country is not the problem of David Whitehead – [HON. MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER (HON. MARUMAHOKO): Order, order. Hon. Members, the Speakers who have been here before me have pleaded with you to lower down your voices but no one is taking heed of that. Please, this is the last warning before the axe falls on you. You may continue Hon. Member.
HON. MARIDADI: Thank you Mr. Speaker. The problem that we have in this country, the Public Accounts Committee will continue to summon Ministries, continue to compile reports and will continue to present reports in this House. What I have realised is that we could get a report by the public accounts committee from 2014 and just change the date and figures and the report will read the same. It is a problem of incompetency, a problem of failure to account for money, a problem of giving loans to people who do not deserve them, loans that are never paid back to Government. So, the problem that we have is institutional, it is not a problem of individuals that run Ministries. It is not a problem of permanent secretaries. It is an institutional problem because there is no political will in this country to deal with corruption.
There is not a single Ministry that has not been cited in the Auditor General’s Report for corruption and there is not a single Minister who has not been cited for issues of corruption and yet there is not a single permanent secretary who has been taken to court and equally there is not a single Minister who has been taken to court for corruption. We have an institution which is – [HON. MLISWA: Inaudible interjections.] –
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order. Hon. Mliswa, we are in an hourable House. If you want to debate, if you are excited, you wait for your turn. We will give you the turn to debate but please, maintain your composure. You may proceed.
HON. MARIDADI: We have the institutional framework to deal with corruption. We have ZACC which a creation of the Constitution. The Auditor General’s Office is a creation of the Constitution. The Auditor General’s Office audits ministries and Government institutions, presents reports in this Parliament…
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