Thread by @OpenParlyZw

Today in Parliament's Public Accounts Committee, Finance Ministry officials failed to appear before the committee to give oral evidence on the payments made for Command Agriculture in the two previous farming seasons 2017 & 2018.
@parliamentzim @BitiTendai
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The committee is chaired by Harare East MP @BitiTendai who said the following: Today we were supoosed to receive evidence from two groups of people. The first one is the Ministry of Finance officials. We had summoned in particular the principal director of budgets Mr Churu.

@BitiTendai : And another director of Capital Expenditure Mr Fidelis Ngorora & also the Accountant General, we believe that the former Accountant Gen Mr Daniel Muchemwa has been retired. So who ever is the Accountant General we ask him or her to continue our investigation work.

@BitiTendai : The reason why we have called them is that they supplied documents to this committee which actually raise more questions than answers so we want them to clarify that.
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@BitiTendai : We regret & we are saddened to note that they have defaulted on our request for them to attend this meeting. The reason that they have given is that they are attending a workshop in Darwendale. This is not the first time that the Ministry of Finance has defaulted.

@BitiTendai: You will recall that in our first report to parliament we highlighted two instances they defaulted. At first they insisted that they have been attending a workshop at the Wild Resort,
@parliamentzim
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@BitiTendai : On the second occasion they basically pretended that they didn't know that we had summoned them. We have insisted & we have made this clear in our first report on the Ministry of Finance that the business of parliament supercedes anything else that they maybe doing.

@BitiTendai : Our oversight role as defined by section 117, section 119 of the constitution is very key. Parliament exercises serious oversight role over all public institutions over all persons. #OpenParlyZW

@BitiTendai : With regards to this committee in particular, we enjoy a unique position, a privilege of pursuing every dollar that comes into the consolidated revenue fund as we are enjoyed too in terms of section 298 & 299 of the constitution of Zimbabwe.
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@BitiTendai : We are very saddened by the continuous disrespect of parliament. So we are giving the ministry of Finance one more last chance before we direct the cleck of parliament to issue a warrant of arrest as he is permitted to do in terms of the Parliamentary privileges act

@BitiTendai : So we are resummoning the ministry of finance on their own on Friday the 15th of November 2019.
@parliamentzim
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@BitiTendai: Today we were also supposed to receive evidence from a company called FSG. This company has been the recipient of millions and millions of dollars under the Presidential Inputs Scheme. So consistent with the work we have been doing in the last 3 months or so...

@BitiTendai: FSG alongside another company Sakunda are key to the work that this committee is doing.We are extremely disappointed that while FSG has been quick to avail itself to another committee of parliament namely the Agricultural Committee. @parliamentzim
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@BitiTendai :They have consciously and deliberately avoided coming to this meeting. We are therefore directing the cleck of parliament the esteemed Mr Chokuda to issue a warrant of arrest against Mr S. Moland the managing director of this company for default in attendance...

@BitiTendai: For default in attendance on the 14th of October 2019, & today the 28th of October 2019. We are summoning the same company to appear before this committee on the 22nd of November 2019...
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@BitiTendai :Together with another company that was a recipient of monies under the unallocated reserves that we are pursuing for 2017 & 2018, motor vehicle supplier called Croco.
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@BitiTendai: This committee will therefore meet on Monday the 11th of November 2019, on Friday the 15th of November 2019,to receive evidence from the ministry of finance,on the 18th and 22nd of November 2019. We hope that there won't be other issues that will arise.
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