Grain Marketing Board (GMB) lost maize worth $74 219 through forgery in the Manicaland depots during the past two years, according to the Report of the Auditor-General for the Financial Year Ended December 31, 2018 on State Enterprises and Parastatals.
The report shows that the Mutare and Chimanimani/Bumba Depots on 14 March 2018 and 06 October 2017 lost maize at the value of $69 279 and $4 940 respectively due to forgery.
“I noted that controls over safeguarding of inventory were weak. As a result, inventory worth $74 219 was stolen through forged maize purchase and depot to depot transfer documentation at some depots,” Auditor General Mildred Chiri says.
“By the time the Board noticed the anomaly, staff responsible for manning the depot weighbridge and security were no longer employees of the Board. The staff included temporary employees, hence the Board could not recover the loss.”
Besides losing maize in the Manicaland Depots, the Auditor-General recommended the GMB board to pursue the delivery of the 2 467 metric tonnes (mt) purchased in 2016.
“The Board made an advance payment for the purchase of 2 467 metric tonnes (mt) of maize worth $1,014,163 in 2016. However, there was no evidence to support that the maize was delivered,” Chiri says.
“Upon enquiry (of the maize), management confirmed that the maize had not yet been delivered.”
The government gave GMB, which has not yet received maize purchased in 2016, more power in controlling the purchase of maize under Statutory Instrument 145 of 2019 (S.I.145) this year.
The manager in charge of the depots which lost maize was demoted and resigned, according to the Auditor-General report.
Chiri recommends the GMB management to ensure sufficient control are put in place to safeguard the authority’s inventory.
