MPs guilty of milking system

PARLIAMENTARIANS appear to be as guilty as the State departments they are meant to oversee when it comes to overspending on their budgets and the thousands of dollars they fail to repay the State in subsistence and travel advances.

The most recent audit of the National Assembly reveals that even the former Speaker owed an outstanding amount of N$45 564 during the 2003-04 financial year. It could not be determined yesterday whether this amount has since been repaid.The whole budget vote of the National Assembly was exceeded by N$931 750 during the year under review – 1,8 per cent of its budget.When the Auditor General inspected the books of the National Assembly last year, it found that N$73 977 was owed by Parliamentarians – dating back as far as 2002.S&T advances for the 2002-03 and 2003-2004 years could not be verified because of a system failure.”The system was not functioning at the time of writing the report,” said Auditor General Junias Kandjeke when he signed off on the audit last November.Of the amount that could be determined, N$26 171 of it was paid to MPs and staff members who travelled to Santiago, Chile, to attend the 108th Inter-Parliamentary Union conference.This amount included N$10 000 in contingency money.”No receipts or any supporting documents were provided after the trip,” notes the audit.Further, no receipts for an amount of N$16 171 granted as a subsistence and travel allowance could be traced.”It is recommended that any contingency money should be supported with receipts upon return from any official trip and that Treasury instructions which stipulate that claims must be submitted within 30 days after the return from a trip or, if not complied with, the advance must be recovered from the salary, should be complied with,” says the audit.A staff member at the National Assembly also owed the State N$6 000 on March 31 2004.The audit report was tabled in the National Assembly recently.Although permission was obtained to use certain expected savings for some of the over-expenditure, nine subdivisions were exceeded by N$1,4 million, which was deemed unauthorised according to the State Finance Act.Most of the over-expenditure has been explained as unplanned travel.The National Assembly also had to make provision for unforeseen breakdowns and accidents during the year, especially for the vehicles of MPs.The practice is that should a substitute car be necessary because of a breakdown, accident or service, this vehicle has to be paid for as well.The increase in fuel prices is also said to have contributed to the overspending.During 2003-04, the National Assembly reported two accidents which necessitated repairs costing N$3 000.Two laptops, each valued at N$15 000, were reported lost, as well as three cellphones with a total value of N$8 000.Neither the items nor any money was recovered.It could not be determined yesterday whether this amount has since been repaid.The whole budget vote of the National Assembly was exceeded by N$931 750 during the year under review – 1,8 per cent of its budget.When the Auditor General inspected the books of the National Assembly last year, it found that N$73 977 was owed by Parliamentarians – dating back as far as 2002.S&T advances for the 2002-03 and 2003-2004 years could not be verified because of a system failure.”The system was not functioning at the time of writing the report,” said Auditor General Junias Kandjeke when he signed off on the audit last November.Of the amount that could be determined, N$26 171 of it was paid to MPs and staff members who travelled to Santiago, Chile, to attend the 108th Inter-Parliamentary Union conference.This amount included N$10 000 in contingency money. “No receipts or any supporting documents were provided after the trip,” notes the audit.Further, no receipts for an amount of N$16 171 granted as a subsistence and travel allowance could be traced.”It is recommended that any contingency money should be supported with receipts upon return from any official trip and that Treasury instructions which stipulate that claims must be submitted within 30 days after the return from a trip or, if not complied with, the advance must be recovered from the salary, should be complied with,” says the audit.A staff member at the National Assembly also owed the State N$6 000 on March 31 2004.The audit report was tabled in the National Assembly recently.Although permission was obtained to use certain expected savings for some of the over-expenditure, nine subdivisions were exceeded by N$1,4 million, which was deemed unauthorised according to the State Finance Act.Most of the over-expenditure has been explained as unplanned travel.The National Assembly also had to make provision for unforeseen breakdowns and accidents during the year, especially for the vehicles of MPs.The practice is that should a substitute car be necessary because of a breakdown, accident or service, this vehicle has to be paid for as well.The increase in fuel prices is also said to have contributed to the overspending.During 2003-04, the National Assembly reported two accidents which necessitated repairs costing N$3 000.Two laptops, each valued at N$15 000, were reported lost, as well as three cellphones with a total value of N$8 000.Neither the items nor any money was recovered.