By Kombe Mataka
ONLY genuine suppliers will be paid by the Ministry of Finance, says Sylvia Masebo.
And Masebo has extended the period for application for jobs in the health sector.
Speaking during the COVID-19 update yesterday, Masebo warned that any procurement of goods and services that are marred with corruption would not be paid.
“Suppliers are using people to push for payments. We run a budget, which is as good as an activity based budget. And our budget is not a secret. Secondly this ministry has taken over a huge debt from suppliers. A huge debt against goods and services which were supplied in some cases which were not supplied in full because of the high levels of corruption by the previous administration,” she said. “And this administration has a duty to verify everything that was supplied to this ministry.”
Masebo said suppliers would not merely be paid because they had supplied invoice of goods and services.
She said verifications of whether they supplied goods or services in full would have to be verified.
“No amount of arm-twisting will change us. We are moving as we had resolved. Suppliers were called to this ministry and they were told on how we are going to proceed. The budget for paying debts is not run by the Ministry of Health. It is under the Ministry of Finance. Government is committed to paying debts that it has incurred but debts that are marred with corruption have to be dealt with,” Masebo said. “As members of the public and members of the press stop pushing for things. You might not even understand. This is your government. This is your country. So stop being used.”
Meanwhile, Masebo has announced an extension for application for jobs in the health sector.
She said the applications would be reopened on Wednesday and closed on Friday.
“We did close the applications for health workers. Now this announcement is to announce that I have received representation from different individuals in the countryside where I have been informed that some of our applicants had issues beyond their control. As a listening government, we shall open again on Wednesday,” said Masebo.
“I want this information to reach everybody. We shall open on Wednesday only for those who failed for various reasons. From Wednesday, Thursday and close [of this exercise] will be Friday.”
