By Staff Reporter
The Auditor General has uncovered financial irregularities amounting to more than K158 billion across government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), raising fresh concerns over public financial management and accountability.
In his report on the Accounts of the Government of Malawi for the financial year ending March 31, 2024, Auditor General Thomas Makiwa says some public institutions may be deliberately withholding documents from auditors in an apparent attempt to conceal fraudulent activities.Netanyahu Seeks Delay as Corruption Trial Resumes After Iran Ceasefire
According to the report, the trend of failing to provide supporting documentation has become widespread and suspicious, prompting the Auditor General to indicate that the matter will be reported separately to relevant authorities for further investigation and possible action.
The report reveals that miscellaneous irregularities constituted the largest category of audit findings, valued at K75.3 billion. This was followed by project-related irregularities amounting to K28.8 billion, financial statement irregularities worth K19.5 billion and expenditure-related irregularities totaling K11.9 billion.Msonda claims corruption cannot happen in government without him being aware
Among the most significant findings, the audit established that projects under the Education Infrastructure Management Unit valued at K28.7 billion remained incomplete despite the expiry of their contract implementation periods several years ago.
The Auditor General also faulted the National Registration Bureau for underutilising K6.4 billion that had been allocated for the procurement of biometric registration kits, motor vehicles, servers and other equipment intended to strengthen national registration services.
In revenue management, the audit found that the Judiciary of Malawi failed to remit K57.4 million in collected revenue. Meanwhile, the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services in the Eastern Region was cited for failing to maintain cash books for revenue collections amounting to K1.19 billion.Malawi First, People Power Movement Dismiss Corruption Claims Against Frank Mbeta
The report further noted that the Ministry of Agriculture overstated revenue by K5.3 billion, raising questions about the accuracy of financial reporting within the ministry.
The findings add to growing concerns over financial accountability in public institutions and are expected to intensify calls for stronger oversight, enforcement of public finance regulations and action against those responsible for the irregularities.Malawi First, People Power Movement Dismiss Corruption Claims Against Frank Mbeta
The Auditor General’s report is likely to attract scrutiny from lawmakers, anti-corruption agencies and the public as authorities assess the scale of the identified weaknesses in government financial management systems.
