Civil service ‘bloated, yet inefficient’

GOVERNMENT’S failure to implement performance management to improve public service delivery has resulted in a bloated, yet inefficient, civil service.

Presenting a paper at last week’s Cabinet retreat at Swakopmund, business leader Harold Pupkewitz told the meeting that skills, knowledge and good attitude lacked in the public service, although conditions of employment were “generally very attractive”. The Wages and Salary Commission (Wascom) in 1996 recommended that Namibia have a smaller, better paid, more professional, more efficient and professional public service.Pupkewitz said the wages were increased but the performance-management monitoring was not implemented.”The net effect has been that Government now absorbs over 36 per cent of Gross Domestic Product and is not generally providing the required levels of service either efficiently or productively,” Pupkewitz told the meeting behind closed doors.Given the size and resources of the Government and parastatals, he proposed that the two be used as training ground for technical and managerial talent who could then be fed into the private sector.Pupkewitz said there were good political reasons behind the growth in public service with the appointment of hundreds of former Swapo fighters, but a lot of questions on how Government money was spent on development.He also expressed anger at the high levels of abuse and corruption in the public service.”The misuse of Government property, the time wasting, the belief that a Government job is a sinecure, the running of business during working hours, theft of Government property – and so the list goes on – must stop, and stop now.This does not take money, just the will to stop the rot.This must come from the political leadership,” he said.He complemented President Hifikepunye Pohamba for his anti-corruption crusade, stating that it was a vital precondition for the country’s development.The Wages and Salary Commission (Wascom) in 1996 recommended that Namibia have a smaller, better paid, more professional, more efficient and professional public service.Pupkewitz said the wages were increased but the performance-management monitoring was not implemented.”The net effect has been that Government now absorbs over 36 per cent of Gross Domestic Product and is not generally providing the required levels of service either efficiently or productively,” Pupkewitz told the meeting behind closed doors.Given the size and resources of the Government and parastatals, he proposed that the two be used as training ground for technical and managerial talent who could then be fed into the private sector.Pupkewitz said there were good political reasons behind the growth in public service with the appointment of hundreds of former Swapo fighters, but a lot of questions on how Government money was spent on development.He also expressed anger at the high levels of abuse and corruption in the public service.”The misuse of Government property, the time wasting, the belief that a Government job is a sinecure, the running of business during working hours, theft of Government property – and so the list goes on – must stop, and stop now.This does not take money, just the will to stop the rot.This must come from the political leadership,” he said.He complemented President Hifikepunye Pohamba for his anti-corruption crusade, stating that it was a vital precondition for the country’s development.