By 
Lunte Member of Parliament, Mutotwe Kafwaya, has warned that Zambians will continue to endure excessive taxation unless urgent measures were taken to strengthen governance oversight, as highlighted in the latest Auditor-General’s report.
Speaking in response to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report presented to Parliament on Tuesday by Committee Chairperson, Warren Mwambazi, Kafwaya expressed deep concern over recurring internal control failures across various government ministries and agencies.
He cited the staggering K14 billion in uncollected mineral royalty tax as a glaring example of revenue loss caused by poor financial management and policy inconsistencies.
“This report has revealed serious internal control weaknesses—failures in procurement procedures, poor record-keeping, unreconciled staff records, and misallocated payrolls,” Kafwaya stated.
He warned that such inefficiencies not only deplete national resources but also result in an increased financial burden on ordinary citizens through higher taxation.
“If governance issues are not addressed, we will continue to see similar reports year after year. Each time, they will justify more taxes, more borrowing, and greater exploitation of citizens—even when the government struggles to utilise the revenue it already collects,” he cautioned.
Kafwaya urged citizens to demand greater accountability, stressing that improved governance systems could reduce dependence on increased taxation or debt accumulation.
In presenting the PAC report, Mwambazi highlighted a range of troubling findings, including procurement irregularities and wasteful expenditure in the Ministry of Education.
He cited the Ministry’s acquisition of the e-Censor software from MSAT Limited, a transaction that bypassed clearance from the Attorney-General and lacked a formal contract with the supplier.
Additionally, no prior approval was sought from the Zambia Public Procurement Authority for single sourcing.
“Despite a total payment of K3,621,000 by 4,550 schools for the software, only 2,501 schools received access, while 2,049 did not. By June 30, 2024, the Ministry abandoned the MSAT tour due to its non-functionality and resorted to developing an in-house system using Excel,” Mwambazi revealed.
He described the expenditure as wasteful and called for a forensic or special audit to establish the facts surrounding the transaction. The Committee also recommended disciplinary action against the responsible officers and stronger enforcement of procurement regulations to prevent recurrence.
The PAC report further highlighted the critical shortage of standardized ambulances in health facilities, which is negatively affecting service delivery.
Mwambazi said a review by the Auditor-General revealed that many hospitals had either non-operational ambulances or were using improvised utility vehicles lacking essential medical equipment.
“For instance, Chilenje Level One Hospital had only one ambulance to handle all referral cases, including emergencies and maternity care. This vehicle frequently broke down, and high repair costs rendered it unreliable,” he noted.
He said the situation reflected a broader challenge faced by health facilities across the country, particularly in rural and underserved areas, where the lack of functional ambulances severely compromises access to timely emergency care.
“In view of this, the Committee urges the government, as a matter of urgency, to equip all health facilities with ambulances fitted with standard life-saving equipment,” Mwambazi said.
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