NAOT not satisfied with the implementations of their recommendations

THE National Audit Office of Tanzania (NAOT) has faulted the government over the way it implements some of the recommendations proposed in their annual audit reports after having discovered a massive violation of office power by some executives which leads to the misappropriation of government fund.  The recently appointed Controller Accounts General (CAG) Professor Mussa Juma Assad said last week in Dar es Salaam that, mere penalties imposed by politicians who enforces resignation to the alleged executives implicated in various financial scandals in the country is not a solution to stop the malpractice. Prof.  Assad who assumed the office six months ago, said in an exclusive interview when he had just opened a one day seminar in which about 32 civil societies and Non-Governmental Organisations met to discuss a special the annual report for CAG that ended on 30^TH June of the financial year 2013 which his office had organised. He expressed his disappointment and noted that, the government could take direct legal actions as proposed by his firm this is together with taking the alleged wrong doers before the court of law for trial and accuse them against what they shall have been implicated with instead of leaving them to resign as part of the political responsibility. However, he cautioned that never should politics interfere with the government decisions when it comes to think on how to control such malpractices in the country which according to him, is growing at an alarming rate and yet no strong efforts are shown by the government to curb the offenders. He also has blamed councilors at district as well as at the municipal levels who mostly do not take firm decisions against the offenders mentioned in the CAG reports, adding that it is from these where there is worse reports of the misuse of government’s fund. Elaborating on the reports that his office prepares he noted that, these are targeting the central government, Public parastatal organizations, and lastly the district and municipal councils which are under the Prime Minister’s Office in the country. Speaking about the strength of his work force in his office, Prof. Assad noted that, his office has about 910 personnel and unfortunately he disclosed that, only few personnel who are professionally trained. “This is one among various challenges my office is facing in the country”, he said adding that lack of money due to squeezed little budget for his office is allocated with this is another challenge that pose weakness on the general performance.  He said the activities of the NOAT are recognised in the country according to the constitution and have targeted all sectors of economy in public as well as in private sectors.