By Julius Caleone Mbewe

The National Audit Office (NAO) has expressed concerns over reduced funding allocation to the Office in the 2020/2021 Fiscal Year.

During the previous financial year, the Office got allocation of K2.4 billion and in this year’s budget they have been allocated K2.2 billion.

NAO Acting Auditor General, Rexie Chiluzi, disclosed this in Lilongwe during a meeting with the Parliamentary Cluster on Budget and Public Accounts.

According to Chiluzi, the Office is in need of additional K1 billion to effectively carry out its duties.

“We would have loved if we are given addition funds amounting to K1 billion to ensure that we perform effectively,” said Chiluzi.

Chiluzi also disclosed that the Office is facing numerous challenges including inadequate vehicles and dilapidated office structures.

“Most of the vehicles we are using currently were procured some ten to twelve years ago even the building we are occupying at the moment was condemned by the Department of Buildings 7 years ago, and we are living in that building at our own risk,” lamented the acting Auditor General.

Reacting to the grievances, Co-Chairperson for the Parliamentary Cluster on Budget and Public Accounts, Shadrack Namalomba, concurred with Chiluzi that the office is indeed in need of adequate funding.

“The money that has been allocated to NAO is not enough, NAO is one of the institutions that provide oversight functions thus it needs adequate funding too,” said Namalomba.

The Cluster has since advised the acting NAO to revise its budgetary expenses to include the auditing of big parastatals.