By Own Correspondent- Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA) allegedly spent an estimated RTGs$71 million under Special Projects, all of which were done without going to tender.

The parastatal’s workers have also been accused of looting the parastatal’s coffers by awarding themselves ‘extraordinary’ benefits.

This was revealed when ZINARA management appeared before the Public Accounts Portfolio Committee on Monday.

Chairperson of the Committee, former Finance Minister Tendai Biti said:

“There were amazing (extraordinary) perks and benefits, that you have been awarding yourselves as Zinara employees which you have not been acknowledging as payment for purposes of taxation. We see huge amounts of allowances on that wage bill.

I suspect that if you take away the allowances and probably comply with that 2.5 per cent, once you put the allowances, it becomes a very dangerous wage bill.

Zinara has no authority to engage in special projects. We are now aware that Zinara has spent RTGS$71 million on special projects without going to tender.

… There is looting under this creature called special projects.”

ZINARA acting chief executive officer Mathlene Mujokoro dismissed some of the allegations but admitted to incompetence in some instances.