The Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development failed to collect K626.64 million in penalties from mining licence holders, the latest Auditor-General’s report has found. The report exposes weaknesses in revenue collection and financial management across Government.
The report covers the accounts of the Republic for the financial year ended 31 December 2025. It identifies gaps in revenue collection, financial management, programme implementation and asset management across ministries, provinces and spending agencies.
Acting Auditor-General Patricia Malaila said the shortcomings had resulted in revenue losses and inefficient use of public resources. She said they had also reduced the effectiveness of public service delivery.
Alongside the uncollected mining penalties, the report found that K30.48 million in annual area charges owed by licence holders remained outstanding. Mining was not the only point where money due to the Treasury went uncollected or unaccounted for.
US$433,820 collected on behalf of the Department of Immigration had not been remitted to the Treasury. The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) was unable to account for customs duties of K41.97 million and temporary imports valued at K9.03 million because supporting documents were missing.
Land revenue showed a similar gap. The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources could not assess ground rent on 74,840 properties because its land records were incomplete, raising concerns about both revenue collection and the management of public assets.
The Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation had not secured title deeds for 663 Government properties.
On the spending side, the largest figure sits with the Ministry of Health. The ministry has accumulated outstanding obligations of K3.56 billion, made up of employee-related liabilities and unpaid suppliers’ bills, some dating back to 2014.
Ms Malaila warned that these growing obligations were placing pressure on public finances and threatening uninterrupted healthcare delivery. She said they could also expose Government to further costs through penalties, interest and litigation.
The report also cited Mbala General Hospital, which continued to incur costs transporting oxygen from other towns.
Programmes meant to support citizens directly were not spared. Irregularities exceeding K72 million were identified under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), involving inactive and unapproved beneficiaries as well as individuals who benefitted from more than one Government support programme.
Payroll management at the Ministry of Education raised further questions. The audit found that 125 officers who received salaries totalling K1.23 million could not be accounted for. They were neither reflected on staff returns nor recognised by management at the stations where they were reported to work.
The same ministry was also cited for failing to complete the printing and distribution of learning materials under the new curriculum.
One of the starkest findings concerns confiscated mukula logs held at facilities under the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment. Of the 5,595 logs recorded, auditors could physically verify only 27, leaving 5,568 unaccounted for.
Despite the weaknesses, the report records some progress. Unresolved audit findings fell from 33 in 2024 to 27 at the conclusion of the 2025 audit.
Ms Malaila attributed the improvement to continued engagement with controlling officers and to recommendations issued to address weaknesses identified in earlier audits.
She called for timely corrective measures, recovery of public funds where applicable and stronger accountability. Public resources, she said, must be managed efficiently and in accordance with the law.
To address the issues raised, Ms Malaila urged all controlling officers to implement the recommendations in the report without delay. She asked them to strengthen internal controls, improve revenue collection systems, tighten procurement and payroll management, and safeguard public assets.
The findings were released in a statement issued by the Office of the Auditor-General’s head of public relations, Ms Ellen Chikale.
Controlling officers across the affected ministries are now expected to act on the recommendations. That work includes recovering funds where possible and closing the gaps the audit identified in revenue, payroll and asset records.
Loading read count...