By OLIVER SAMBOKO
MORE than K3 million public funds have been lost through failure by the Ministry of Livestock to use insecticide for the control of Tsetse flies and trypanosomiasis in Rufunsa, Luano and Nyimba, the 2019 Auditor-General’s report has revealed.
The audit report said 90, 000 litres of insecticide valued at K3, 278, 124, delivered in October 2017 had expired making the expenditure wasteful.
“On July 27, 2017, the ministry engaged a joint venture of Share Mix Limited and Avima Pty Limited of South Africa to supply and deliver 425, 489 litres of Deltamethrin ULV Insecticide at a contract sum of K14, 420, 627 with a delivery period of two weeks,” read part of the report.
The report also said the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock failed without any reasonable justification to utilise insecticides to control tsetse flies and trypanosomiasis in livestock and humans in the three districts.
It also disclosed that the suppliers of the chemicals were also required to oversee the application of the insecticide in an aerial spraying operation, to control tsetse flies and trypanosomiasis but did not do so contrary to terms and conditions of the contract.
The Ministry of Livestock also failed to account for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines valued at K1, 005, 397 meant for use and distribution to seven districts.
During the period under review, 840, 500 doses of FMD vaccine valued at K3, 097, 100 and 100, 000 doses of CBPP vaccines valued at K183, 680 were distributed to 34 districts that were affected by the disease.
However, a physical inspection of vaccines distributed to seven selected District Fisheries and Livestock Offices carried out in June 2020 revealed that 323, 000 vaccines costing K1, 005, 397 were unaccounted for in that there were no disposal details.
It was also observed that Mongu Provincial Fisheries and Livestock Office did not have cold rooms to store the vaccines and relied on a third party for the storage.
