The Auditor General has revealed that instead of having four board meetings in a year, the Road Transport and Safety Agency Board met 17 times in 2015 resulting in overpayment of K2,038,081 in allowances.

And the Auditor General says RTSA has not implemented an Accident Information System despite spending over K2.5 million on the project.

Meanwhile, the Auditor General has revealed that RTSA owes ZRA amounts totalling K62,573,212 in Pay As You Earn.

According to the latest Report of the Auditor General on Accounts of Parastatal Bodies and Other Statutory Institutions for the Financial Years Ended 31st December 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, the RTSA Board, whose mandate came to an end in 2016, met 17 times and further paid themselves allowances for various activities.

“Section 4 (2) of the Road Traffic Act of 2002 stipulates that ‘the agency shall meet for the transaction of business at least once every three months at such places and times as the chairperson may determine’. In 2015, amounts totalling K4,009,331 were spent on allowances and expenses for 17 meetings held by the Board against a budget of K1,971,250 resulting in an over expenditure of K2,038,081,” read the Auditor General’s report.

“Further, there were no acquittal sheets for Board allowances paid out during the period under review in amounts totalling K1,504, 305. ii. Questionable payment of allowances. During the period under review, amounts totalling K228,855 were paid as allowances to Board members for activities such as marking of the roads, meeting the minister and meeting the Auditor General.

In their response dated 15th May, 2017, management responded that the items related to payments made in accordance with board conditions. However, the board conditions of members availed for audit did not cover such payments.”

In 2015 when the board sat 17 times, RTSA had 12 board members under the chairmanship of Eng Webster Nonde and his deputy Mandeep de Brito. Other members were Attorney General Likando Kalaluka (director) and RTSA CEO Zindaba Soko who was board secretary.

Other directors included Eng Misheck Lungu, Col Speedwell Mulusa, Bernard Domingo Martin Libinga, Lawrence Kaoma, Dr Mary Zulu, Dr Anthony Mwanaumo and Eng Mumba Kanyuka. Currently RTSA has no board in place.

And the Auditor General stated that RTSA had not implemented an Accident Information System despite spending over K2.5 million on the project.

“In 2009, RTSA embarked on a project for the development of an Accidents Information System. The project which was funded by the World Bank was implemented by the Agency in conjunction with Zambia Police. On 2nd September, 2015, the contract for the rollout of the Accident Information System was signed with a local consultant at a contract sum of K2,736,278 for a duration of three months. As at the time of audit in March 2017, the whole amount had been paid,” the report read.

“Further to the above and between April 2014 and December 2016, various suppliers were engaged to supply equipment at a total cost of K861,096; on April 29, 2014 RTSA engaged Shreeji Investments Limited to procure 160 desktop computers at K580,438, on August 28, 2014 RTSA engaged Savenda Management Services to procure two servers at K93,780, December 1, 2016, RTSA engaged Reliance Technologies to procure 30 handheld mobile devices (tablets) at K96,048 and MTN Zambia was engaged on the same day to procure 28 internet routers and 56 data sim cards at K90,830. However, as at 31st August 2017, the project had not been implemented and no explanation was provided for the failure to roll out the Accident Information System.”

Meanwhile, the Auditor General reviewed that RTSA owes ZRA amounts totalling K62,573,212 in Pay As You Earn.

“As at August 2017, the amounts had not been remitted to the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) and the Agency was charged penalties on PAYE amounting to K64,550,000,” read the report.