No control over Govt properties

THE poor control that Government exercises over its property countrywide has been brought to the attention of Parliament for its support to implement wide-ranging recommendations to get the situation back on track.

A report of the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee says the Ministry of Works can not claim to be in control of its fixed assets despite having spent N$2 million on compiling a fixed-asset register. Illegal occupants, non-paying tenants and the deterioration of houses and flats are just some of the problems that plague the management of Government property.The committee has taken issue with Permanent Secretaries who served the Ministry in the past, saying that they failed to heed warnings by the Auditor General to bring the situation under control.”Although there are records, these records do not warrant the name fixed-asset register, as they are incomplete and vague,” Johan de Waal, Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, told the National Assembly last week.De Waal said Ministry officials did not even know how many Government quarters fell under its control.While the committee was informed that the Ministry was managing 4 050 units, the Auditor General’s report for 2002 revealed that in fact it was as many as 8 354 units.”This statement is backed by a list of properties which was submitted by the Department of Works and subjected to a sample test to confirm its correctness,” said De Waal.”It is clear that people in control of asset management in the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication haven’t got a clue what they are doing.One thing is, however, certain and that is that they are definitely not managing the assets of Government.”De Waal said the committee was not convinced that Government figures on the number of illegal occupants living in State properties reflected the true state of affairs.According to what the committee was told, only 16 Government properties in Windhoek were being illegally occupied.De Waal told the National Assembly that although the Office of the Attorney General had been approached to obtain eviction orders against these people, to date nothing had happened.A spot check conducted by the committee revealed that the tenants of at least three Government houses at Khorixas were not paying rent.”How many similar cases exist in the country? We must now ask ourselves how much money have we lost and what are we going to do about it,” said De Waal.He said Government was suffering further losses because of the dilapidation of Government property.De Waal said the committee was also worried that many Government properties were registered at the Deeds Office as private property.The committee further questioned why only 450 of the 2 000 houses earmarked for alienation had been sold.The Ministry of Works recently embarked on a project to try and establish a proper fixed-asset register with the help of the National Youth Service.The committee is recommending that the Ministry urgently introduce new strategies to improve the current administration, management and maintenance of fixed assets and that the Ministry of Works submit such a plan to the committee within three months.The Minister of Justice and Attorney General is also being urged to take action against illegal occupants of Government property.The Committee has undertaken to monitor progress made by Works since June in compiling a reliable fixed-asset register.The Permanent Secretary will also have to implement the recommendations of the Auditor General on the management of immovable property and continue with the alienation of Government houses as earlier directed by Cabinet.The National Assembly still has to decide on whether or not to adopt the recommendations made by the committee.Illegal occupants, non-paying tenants and the deterioration of houses and flats are just some of the problems that plague the management of Government property.The committee has taken issue with Permanent Secretaries who served the Ministry in the past, saying that they failed to heed warnings by the Auditor General to bring the situation under control. “Although there are records, these records do not warrant the name fixed-asset register, as they are incomplete and vague,” Johan de Waal, Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, told the National Assembly last week.De Waal said Ministry officials did not even know how many Government quarters fell under its control.While the committee was informed that the Ministry was managing 4 050 units, the Auditor General’s report for 2002 revealed that in fact it was as many as 8 354 units.”This statement is backed by a list of properties which was submitted by the Department of Works and subjected to a sample test to confirm its correctness,” said De Waal.”It is clear that people in control of asset management in the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication haven’t got a clue what they are doing.One thing is, however, certain and that is that they are definitely not managing the assets of Government.”De Waal said the committee was not convinced that Government figures on the number of illegal occupants living in State properties reflected the true state of affairs.According to what the committee was told, only 16 Government properties in Windhoek were being illegally occupied.De Waal told the National Assembly that although the Office of the Attorney General had been approached to obtain eviction orders against these people, to date nothing had happened.A spot check conducted by the committee revealed that the tenants of at least three Government houses at Khorixas were not paying rent.”How many similar cases exist in the country? We must now ask ourselves how much money have we lost and what are we going to do about it,” said De Waal.He said Government was suffering further losses because of the dilapidation of Government property.De Waal said the committee was also worried that many Government properties were registered at the Deeds Office as private property.The committee further questioned why only 450 of the 2 000 houses earmarked for alienation had been sold.The Ministry of Works recently embarked on a project to try and establish a proper fixed-asset register with the help of the National Youth Service.The committee is recommending that the Ministry urgently introduce new strategies to improve the current administration, management and maintenance of fixed assets and that the Ministry of Works submit such a plan to the committee within three months.The Minister of Justice and Attorney General is also being urged to take action against illegal occupants of Government property.The Committee has undertaken to monitor progress made by Works since June in compiling a reliable fixed-asset register.The Permanent Secretary will also have to implement the recommendations of the Auditor General on the management of immovable property and continue with the alienation of Government houses as earlier directed by Cabinet.The National Assembly still has to decide on whether or not to adopt the recommendations made by the committee.