By JOE GURINA
ALL Local Level Government Special Purpose Authorities operating in the country have been urged to submit their audited annual reports to the Office of the Minister for Provincial & Local Level Government Affairs.
Minister responsible Soroi Eoe in a media statement last week said since taking office, it has come to his attention that many SPAs have been operating without providing reports to the Ministry and the host LLG SPAs have been operating in isolations and have failed to comply with the laws in submitting their annual reports.
He said as the new Minister responsible for Provincial Governments, Local Level Governments and Special Purpose Authorities, ‘’it is my desire to see and ensure SPAs are operating within the duly established systems and processes in implementing tangible and impact projects at the resource project host communities to help improve living standards of the people.’’
‘’Since taking office, it has come to my attention that that many Special Purpose Authorities (SPAs) have unresolved issues and were deemed to have been operating outside of the legal parameters of the enabling laws which they may have not fully achieved intended purposes of establishments,’’ he stated in the media statement.
He said reporting on performance was basically to ensure checks and balances hence ascertain whether public funds received by the LLG SPAs were properly used to implement tangible project.
‘’Under Section 49 of the LLG Administration Act, it is my humble request for all LLG SPAs to immediately submit a detail report of their operations, functions and implementation of impact projects to my office and the host LLGs,’’ he said.
He said his Ministry through the Department has developed a reporting template which can be used by the LLG SPAs to assist with their reporting.
He said all LLG SPAs must submit their reports to his office no late than April 30th, 2023.
He added that the report must be detailed, comprehensive and authenticated by the office of the Auditor General or a competent and recognized Auditing Firm.
The Minister said any LLG SPA that fail to submit its annual report will be investigated under Section 53 of the LLG Administration Act, 1997, and will not hesitate to dissolve the Authorities entirely with its assets and liabilities transferred to the host LLG or another authority and investigated.
