Kaapanda launches major Works clean-up operation

THE Minister of Works, Transport and Communication, Joel Kaapanda, yesterday officially inaugurated ‘Operation Clean-Up’, a campaign to rid Government offices of unused equipment and clutter.

The Works Minister yesterday introduced the Clean-up Campaign Committee to the media, saying that this new committee would “usher in an era of good governance with a view to improve on resource utilisation” to the benefit of the nation. “The public has been dismayed by ugly scenes of Government properties being neglected,” Kaapanda admitted, “including vehicles parked and depreciating in Government garages and elsewhere in our Government premises.”He said Government is taking full responsibility for correcting the situation, and thus has deployed a team of officials to spearhead the campaign.Committee members have been drawn from different ministries, including Finance, Safety and Security, Education, and the biggest vehicle owner in the country, according to Kaapanda, the Ministry of Agriculture.Government has made huge losses by not putting written-off vehicles and other disused items on auction before they further depreciated, Kaapanda said, but he was unable to specify an amount.Under the new rules, civil servants are required to dispose of unused property through auctions, something Kaapanda said would enable Government to collect potential revenue and stamp out corruption and the theft of public property.Before property is auctioned, Kaapanda said, it will first have to be registered, and expert valuators will be brought in to value the property.”The Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication will continue monitoring the process to ensure that everything proceeds as expected,” the minister vowed.”We will make sure that the process will not be manipulated to serve the interest of a few.Hence close supervision and monitoring of the clean-up process will be maintained at all times,” he said.Kaapanda said that the Clean-Up Campaign Committee could be viewed as a direct response to president Hifikepunye Pohamba’s appeal during his inauguration for civil servants to engender a new culture of efficient and effective administration and management of Government resources.”The public has been dismayed by ugly scenes of Government properties being neglected,” Kaapanda admitted, “including vehicles parked and depreciating in Government garages and elsewhere in our Government premises.”He said Government is taking full responsibility for correcting the situation, and thus has deployed a team of officials to spearhead the campaign.Committee members have been drawn from different ministries, including Finance, Safety and Security, Education, and the biggest vehicle owner in the country, according to Kaapanda, the Ministry of Agriculture. Government has made huge losses by not putting written-off vehicles and other disused items on auction before they further depreciated, Kaapanda said, but he was unable to specify an amount.Under the new rules, civil servants are required to dispose of unused property through auctions, something Kaapanda said would enable Government to collect potential revenue and stamp out corruption and the theft of public property.Before property is auctioned, Kaapanda said, it will first have to be registered, and expert valuators will be brought in to value the property.”The Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication will continue monitoring the process to ensure that everything proceeds as expected,” the minister vowed.”We will make sure that the process will not be manipulated to serve the interest of a few.Hence close supervision and monitoring of the clean-up process will be maintained at all times,” he said.Kaapanda said that the Clean-Up Campaign Committee could be viewed as a direct response to president Hifikepunye Pohamba’s appeal during his inauguration for civil servants to engender a new culture of efficient and effective administration and management of Government resources.