Unicef claims 620,000 euros from the Malagasy administration
The UN agency dedicated to children in poor countries wants to review the color of its missing money in the coffers of some Malagasy ministries.
Unicef.fr
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
This request follows the conclusions of an audit undertaken in 2019 at the level of several public entities.
The United Nations Children's Fund finances, among other things, projects to fight against malnutrition, access to water and education in the Big Island.
Publicity
Read more
With our correspondent in Antananarivo,
Laetitia Bezain
It is through a press release from the Council of Ministers that the Malagasy government made public this case which concerns funding granted by UNICEF between 2014 and 2019 to various ministries.
The Malagasy authorities have announced the opening of an investigation for what they themselves describe as "
embezzlement of public funds
".
“
It was found that there were expenses that were not agreed and Unicef is now claiming reimbursement of these funds
,” they specify.
The Head of State, Andry Rajoelina, has instructed to send a general State inspection to the services concerned and to transmit the results to the Independent Anti-Corruption Office.
“
A number of departments have outstanding funds that have not been utilized within the timeframe.
The standard procedure is to return these funds to Unicef
,” responded the UN agency.
While she has been trying to get these three billion ariary reimbursed for several years, the latter says "
congratulate the president's commitment to accelerate this process
"
and “
reiterates its desire to support the government so that no child is left behind
”.
Before his departure in 2021, the former representative of Unicef in the Big Island had indicated that such a situation could constitute "
a brake on possible funding that the government of Madagascar could benefit from donors
".
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
Madagascar