Staff Writer
Auditor general, Junias Kandjeke, found that the Ministry of Health and Social Services has made payments to suppliers amounting to N$155 533.28 during the 2020/21 financial year.
According to a report compiled by the Office of the Auditor General on double payments made 24 duplicate payments to different suppliers during the year under review.
“The Accounting Officer indicated that double payments were as a result of multiple supplier codes allocated to individual suppliers. Nevertheless, the Ministry has started to engage the Ministry of Finance to clean up the system on double supplier accounts on the data base,” read the report.
The accounting officer also said that the health ministry with the assistance of the Ministry of Finance, is underway with clearing up the double payment system.
Additionally, the ministry has requested companies that were double paid to refund and provide proof of payment once payments are done.
Furthermore, Kandjeke recommended that the accounting officer should ensure that double payments are avoided and recovered and that the accounting Officer should also indicate what controls are put in place to ensure that double payments do not happen in future.
Additionally, the report also indicates that the ministry had unauthorised expenditure during the year under review.
According to the report the auditor general found that the total budget of the ministry was over spent with an amount of N$366 546 308.38 (4.55%).
However, the accounting officer disagreed with the finding.
Overspending by any office, ministry and agency is in contravention of Section 6 of the State Finance Act.
“The total budget of the Ministry was overspent with an amount of N$366 546 308.38 (4.55%). This amount is unauthorised in terms of Section 6 (a) (i) of the State Finance Act,
- It is recommended that the Accounting Officer should closely monitor and review the financial position of the Ministry on a continuous basis to enable better financial control and
take appropriate action timeously to avoid unauthorized expenditure,” states the report.
