Zimbabwe’s State institutions and parastatals are not following laid down reporting procedures and they seem to be getting away with it, Harare West Member of Parliament Jessie Majome said.
She said the enterprises were supposed to submit their reports to the relevant ministers within five months before the end of the year and the minister was supposed to table the reports before Parliament but it was taking up to 10 months before they submitted their reports.
Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa told her that she should have asked the relevant ministries as each parastatal fell under a ministry.
Q & A:
HON. MAJOME: I will direct my question also to the Leader of the House Hon Vice President Mnangagwa. Why is this House receiving annual financial reports of State Institutions and Parastatals towards the end of the year? In yesterday’s Order Paper, there were the Agricultural Marketing Authority’s reports and the Tobacco Marketing Authority’s reports, two months before the end of the year and these are 2014 financial statements. Last month we also got that of the Grain Marketing Board and the National Railways of Zimbabwe for 2014, yet the Public Finance and Management Act requires those Parastatals to submit reports to the relevant Ministers within five months before the end of the year and the relevant Hon. Ministers to table those reports to this august House as soon thereafter. This is now like 10 months afterwards. Why is it taking that long to simply table a report that has been prepared by another entity?
THE VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (HON. MNANGAGWA): What I know is that every Parastatal falls under a particular Ministry and the period of submitting reports are stated in the Act. What I do not know is whether she is telling the truth or not about whether they have been submitted or not. She specifically mentioned three or four reports from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Minister is sitting right here and I do not know why she is afraid of asking the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development as to what has happened – [HON. MEMBERS: Laughter] – but I feel very proud that she thinks that I know everything and that is very good. I really thank you for thinking that I know everything that happens in every Ministry. In terms of policy, as to when a report must be submitted and why a report has been delayed, that would be understood. It might not even be the Minister but the institution which will have submitted the report late. So, those are specific questions which would require to be investigated for us to establish the facts relating to a particular report. I thank you.
HON. MARIDADI: Thank you Madam Speaker. This is a very serious issue because it talks about governance and it talks about the economy of the country. The Ministers that are here, Hon. Minister Undenge and Hon. Minister Made, parastatals that are under their purview have not submitted audited accounts on time and I think they owe the nation an explanation. We want to know why it takes long for an organisation like ZESA, GMB and NRZ to submit their audited reports on time. Why does it take so much time? I will direct that to Hon. Minister Undenge.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, they cannot speak while they are two, so it will be one by one. It is a supplementary question which is directed to someone. So, the Hon. Vice President has responded to the questions, that is when you ask the Minister, but you have asked for a supplementary question while the Hon. Vice President has answered you. If it is an outstanding question, you can direct it to the relevant Minister, but I am not giving you this chance – [HON.MEMBERS: Inaudible interjections.] – yes, because you stood up for a supplementary question.
HON. MARIDADI: Since the question has come already Hon. Speaker, they have all heard it, I think it must just be …
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, we do not operate that way.
HON. MARIDADI: Okay thank you.
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