Obrein Simasiku
Three suppliers raked in a whooping N$2.3 million in duplicate payments, made by the Department of Home Affairs and Immigration during the 2020/21 financial year, the Auditor General Junias Kandjeke has revealed.
He has thus recommended to the accounting officer to put controls in place to ensure that double payments will not happen again in the future. “You should recover the amount and provide such proof for audit purposes, however the accounting officer indicated that the amount be collected from the respective suppliers,” stressed Kandjeke.
In addition, Kandjeke also revealed that the main division [minister’s office] overspent by N$6 336 which he said was unauthorised in terms of section 6 (a) (ii) of Act. On the other hand, he said three operational subdivisions exceeded by N$826 692, thus violating section 6 (a) (iii) of the Act, even though treasury approval was granted.
“If specific activities are expected to exceed the budgeted funds due to unforeseen circumstances, funds should be viremented from activities where savings are expected,” advised AG, while also saying, no stock taking was undertaken at six foreign missions, thus recommending that such exercises be undertaken as per the requirement of the Treasury Instruction KA0901.
Home Affairs received an unqualified audit opinion, meaning that the financial statements are prepared in a fair manner and in compliance of the state finance Act 1991.
It was further revealed that, under the office of the minister, N$63 639 was underspent on remuneration, because the minister was serving in two portfolios and that his personal assistant was seconded from another ministry. An under expenditure was equally reported totalling, N$336 625, of which N$223 362 was on daily subsistence and travel allowance. “This was due to Covid-19 as most of the planned trips could not materialise due to restrictions on travelling,” explained Kandjeke.
Other under-expenditures were recorded in the subdivisions of civil registration with an amount of N$4 593 300, with remuneration accounting for N$1 557 553; refugee administration N$597 998 and immigration control N$1 032 296 also on salaries and benefits, respectively. Covid-19 and high staff turnover were some of the reasons for under spending.
