The National Local  Government Finance  Committee says it is high time that local authorities started performing to expected standards in financial management to ensure service delivery and development to residents in their areas of work.

The remarks were made by the National Local Government Finance Committee’s (NLGFC) Director of Finance, Mr. Kondwani Santhe in Blantyre, Salima and Mzuzu during regional symposiums targeting finance officers from local councils.

Santhe said there was no excuse for finance officers to run councils outside of various financial regulatory frameworks like the Public Finance Management Act, the Local Government Act and various circulars issued from time to time by the Accountant General and the NLGFC.

“Accountability, transparency and improved governance and eliminating corruption and audit queries is a must”, said Santhe

He said the NLGFC is demanding for increased efficiency and effectiveness saying there was need for increased performances in local revenue and that it is time councils served residents through service and development.

The Director said the regional fiancé symposiums had equipped the fiancé officers, with technical skills, wide experiences standardized reporting templates and various best practice activities, ‘the symposiums are very important as a knowledge sharing and discussion platform among peers and strategizing on areas of improvement going forward’.

In an interview, Director of Finance for Zomba district Muhammud Assani said the symposiums were powerful learning tools, exceptional case study forums and learning hubs.

The NLGFC finance symposiums in collaboration with other partners (the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the National Audit Office and Deloitte for tips off anonymous) have also put in place measures such as increased monitoring, standardized reporting tools, timely submission of Financial Statements, auditing and sanctions against errant officers and councils.

In an interview with the NLGFC Newsletter, one of the participants, Dorcas Msowoya from Phalombe District Council, said the symposiums were helpful and eye opening. Msowoya said the learning and exchange of knowledge would translate into change and effectiveness on the ground.

She said the standardized reporting templates developed by the NLGFC for use by councils, were a major step forward and that there was no reason for late submission of reports.

The symposium was facilitated by the NLGFC and drew finance officers from all councils in Malawi split into three regional cohorts.