By Mercy Nalugo
Oct 14, 2003 - Monitor
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PARLIAMENT - Lawmakers have asked the ambassador to the United States to account for 1,000 passports. The Ministry of Internal Affairs issued the passports to the embassy in Washington, D.C. Ministry officials, however, told MPs on the Public Accounts Committee yesterday that they have not received any accountability report from the embassy. The committee gave Ambassador Edith Sempala two weeks to account for the passports. "Failure of which the ambassador will appear before the committee at her own cost," committee chairman Okullo Epak (Oyam South) said. Ministry officials were meeting the MPs to answer audit queries for the financial year ending 2001. Ugandans abroad normally apply and pay for new passports at their respective embassies and the missions account later. In his report, the Auditor General noted that no accountability has been furnished to the ministry in respect of the 1,000 passports issued to the mission in the financial year ending 2001. Mr S. P. Kagoda, the permanent secretary, Ministry of Internal Affairs, informed the members that they have written to Ms Sempala asking her to account. "About Shs 50 million would have been raised from these passports," Kagoda said. The MPs directed the auditors to verify whether the passports were damaged and authorise their destruction in London. The committee also heard that about 161 positions are vacant in the Immigrations Department. The Auditor General observed that this has affected the ministry's service delivery. |
� 2003 The Monitor Publications
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