Zambia Congress of Trade Unions ( ZCTU) has called for thorough investigations into the alleged misappropriation of 100 billion kwacha (25 million U.S. dollars) meant for housing allowance arrears for civil servants.

ZCTU president Leonard Hikaumba said here at the weekend the government should ensure that officers who misappropriated the funds are punished.

Finance deputy minister Jonas Shakafuswa disclosed the scam on Friday, saying an audit undertaken by the ministry revealed that the money has been misapplied.

The deputy minister said the government has already identified the culprits and the law enforcement agencies would start taking action against them.

Hikaumba regretted that the unearthed misappropriation of funds would negatively affect most government departments because workers have been denied their dues by a few individuals.

He has since advised the Zambian government to stop paying workers the housing allowances separately to avoid misappropriation of funds.

Instead, housing allowances should be paid together with the civil servants' salaries, Hikaumba suggested.

Source: Xinhua