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Business Reporter
THE Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ) will hold a conference with local authorities to enhance their governance, audit and other relevant skills critical to improve operational efficiency.
The conference will be held in Gweru from March 2 to 3, 2023 and it is part of the professionalization of the public sector by ICAZ.
ICAZ technical director, Owen Mavengere said, “As part of our efforts to increase cooperation with the public sector, we will be having several sessions and touch points with the key public sector organisations. Given the criticality of the Local Authorities, we would like to assist the sector in their efforts to address efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery.”
Despite this sector being at the centre of key services, such as water, sewer, road, health among others, the local authorities have been lagging and often left out of professionalisation hence ICAZ’s focus on this arm of the public sector.
ICAZ is working with associations of urban councils and rural councils as well as the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing in organising the conference.
According to Mavengere, ICAZ intends to support ongoing efforts to improve efficiency as local authorities are focused on improving the quality of service, as such ICAZ wants to assist them to create a sector that is competent, agile, effective, efficient and results driven.
This is what informs the areas ICAZ conference will cover include governance, audit, procurement, financial reporting, ethics and so on.
“Furthermore, we will have a discussion on cooperation and coordination between local authorities and key parastatals that they interact with frequently. Lastly, this is also an opportune time to engage with the sector, as the government is focussing on migrating to accrual accounting, a move which will significantly impact the local authorities, in a positive manner of course,” Mavengere added.
Delegates from all the 92 rural and urban councils in Zimbabwe will be participating with key attendees being the CEO’s and their respective finance and audit staff.
The Auditor General’s report is often fraught with instances of non-compliance and malpractice on the part of these local authorities, further pointing to gaps that need to be addressed. This further buttresses the need to have such a conference.
ICAZ hopes that with the support from the two local authorities’ associations, that is Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ) and the Association of Rural District Councils of Zimbabwe (ARDCZ), is going to be an annual event where delegates from local authorities will be meeting with key difference makers, annually to discuss and proffer solutions to challenges within the Local Authorities’ sector.
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