Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Albert Chalamila has called on all local government authorities in Dar es Salaam Region to strictly adhere to the recommendations of the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) in order to strengthen accountability, improve public financial management, and enhance service delivery to citizens.
The Regional Commissioner made the remarks at different times while chairing special council meetings held to deliberate on and adopt the report of the Controller and Auditor General for the financial year ending June 30, 2025.
The meetings were part of his ongoing official visits to local councils in the region to review audit performance and governance compliance.
During the sessions, Chalamila commended the Dar es Salaam City Council, Kinondoni Municipal Council, and Ubungo Municipal Council for achieving clean audit opinions.
He said the clean reports reflect improved financial discipline, stronger internal controls, and growing commitment among public officials to safeguard public funds.
He noted that achieving clean audit reports should not be the end of the process, but rather a motivation for councils to further strengthen systems, address remaining audit observations, and ensure that future reports contain fewer or no audit queries.
He emphasized the importance of responding promptly to outstanding audit issues and ensuring that corrective measures are fully implemented.
Chalamila further instructed all councils in the region to make better use of internal audit units before external auditors arrive.
He said internal audit functions should play a stronger preventive role by identifying risks early, correcting weaknesses in financial management, and ensuring compliance with public finance regulations throughout the year.
Strengthening internal audits, he added, would reduce the number of audit queries raised by the CAG and improve overall efficiency in the management of public resources.
He also directed local authorities to intensify efforts in identifying new revenue sources and improving revenue collection systems.
According to him, increased own-source revenue is critical in enabling councils to implement development projects, improve infrastructure, and expand essential services such as health, education, sanitation, and urban planning.
He stressed that collected revenues must be used properly and transparently to reflect tangible benefits to residents.
The Regional Commissioner warned that misuse or inefficient use of public funds undermines development goals and erodes public trust.
He insisted that financial discipline must go hand in hand with accountability, planning, and value for money in all development initiatives implemented by councils.
In addition, Chalamila encouraged council leaders and technical teams to strengthen coordination and ensure that planning and budgeting processes are aligned with audit findings and national development priorities.
He said proper implementation of audit recommendations is a key indicator of good governance and institutional maturity.
For his part, the Regional Administrative Secretary for Dar es Salaam Region, Abdul Mhinte, urged councils to focus on preventing audit queries rather than preparing responses after issues have been raised.
He said proactive planning, strong internal controls, and strict adherence to financial regulations would help reduce recurring audit challenges and improve institutional performance.
He added that councils should build a culture of compliance and continuous improvement, where accountability is integrated into daily operations rather than treated as an annual requirement during audit periods.
The ongoing review meetings across Dar es Salaam’s councils form part of broader efforts by regional leadership to strengthen public financial management, improve audit outcomes, and ensure that public funds are used efficiently to accelerate development and service delivery across all municipalities.
