AG to name and shame

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter

Auditor General, Ms Mildred Chiri says her office will continue to name and shame companies that fail to deliver upon getting Government contracts despite threats of litigation from the firms.

Ms Chiri said this today in Nyanga while responding to inquiries from journalists during a workshop her office held with the media so that they could have an appreciation of her work.

She said in her 2019 annual report, she had abandoned the publication of names of those firms that would have failed to deliver or supply products and services after securing contracts from the Government.

She said this was after the firms had threatened litigation saying naming them had an adverse effect on their reputation.

But Ms Chiri said after conferring with Parliament’s Public Accounts committee, it was agreed that she continued naming those offending firms.

“We agreed with Parliament to have these names published. People who do business with the Government should know that there are prone to public scrutiny. We have reverted to the naming of people who do not deliver with regard to Government business,” said Ms Chiri.

She said they have also implored those external auditors they contract to carry out forensic audits to do their work professionally and thoroughly.

“We have told them that their audits should survive the test and scrutiny of courts. It should be beyond reproach,” she said.