NGO Board queries Mzimba NGOs’ K11 bn programmes

The NGO Board says the amount of money non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are spending annually in Mzimba District does not reflect development activities implemented in the district.

NGO Board programme director Kamwana Muyaya raised the concern on Monday during a district executive committee (DEC) meeting.

He said the board , in its recent mapping exercise registered 33 NGOs operating to the tune of K11 billion.

Muyaya said this is a lot of money worth more development activities than what is on the ground.

“During our research we interviewed 33 NGOs in 10 traditional authorities and their collective annual budget for programme being implemented here in Mzimba amounts to K11.3 billion,” he said.

Muyaya said refusal by many NGOs to give out their audit reports raises questions about their accountability.

“Many NGOs shun submitting audit reports. This raises fear whether these organisations account for their money,” he said.

However, some of the NGOs complained that they cannot afford to engage external auditors and asked the NGO Board to put in place other measures to ensure accountability.

In response, Muyaya said if an NGO cannot afford audit fees then it should degrade to community based organisation (CBO).

He said the mapping exercise established that there is uneven distribution of NGOs in the district. For example, Tradidional Authority Mzikubola has the highest number of programme compared to other areas such as Khosolo. n