SOEs Are Bleeding Namibia
THE recent wave of reports on parastatals’ losses and inefficiencies is deeply concerning to me.
The column of Tsudao Gurirab in The Namibian (3 July 2012) is just the last – and maybe most pertinent – of comments.
Our country is still battling with poverty and education challenges let alone the situation in the public health sector. The N$500 million losses of TransNamib plus the N$500 million losses at Air Namibia plus the N$160 million losses at NWR is much more than just a nuisance to the taxpayer and all citizens. There is no professional leadership at the top with sound experience in managing industrial, market driven enterprises.
Our SOEs (state-owned enterprises) are managed like public service departments – a very different ball game.
As a taxpayer I’m expecting that at least a break even result is achieved if the management of the SOEs can’t manage their companies out of reds.
Just imagine what good and necessary deeds can be done in both education and public health if Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila had that cool billion N$ available that we spent to bail out SOEs.
Singapore has turned its educational system from third world to first world within one generation, hosting the campuses of world-renowned universities because of the quality of the schooling system.
The result is that the local industry and services are not depending on foreign specialists and that unemployment for Singaporeans is non-existent.
Why can’t we as Namibians set similar goals for ourselves that are both inspiring and right to build the nation? But then we must execute what we have set out to do!
The implementation and execution of good initiatives is the big stumbling block we need to remove.
Our parastatals are not only bleeding, they are bleeding profusely – draining the financial lifeblood out of our society.
When will we see the political commitment to stop the waste and start managing the SOEs as if they were privately owned companies?
Action speaks louder than words!
Matthias von Oelhafen
By e-mail