Officials still owe N$888 000 for cars

MEMBERS of a Parliamentary Committee were last week taken aback to hear that a large debt run up by some Government official for vehicles bought under a now defunct scheme is still outstanding.

Permanent Secretary in the Finance Ministry, Calle Schlettwein, handed over a list of names during a public hearing last week on the Ministry’s audit report for the 2005 financial year. “It is difficult to collect the debts, as our ministry is only the financial administrator for accounting purposes.The vehicle purchase scheme was run by every ministry separately,” Schlettwein said.The sum still owed is N$888 000.Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Johan de Waal, told Schlettwein that the Committee would look into the matter.”Those officials, regardless of whether they are still in the Public Service or have left, they got those cars and should pay for them,” De Waal told the Permanent Secretary.Meanwhile, the Labour Ministry appears to have improved its track record in the last financial year, overspending its budget by “only” N$273 486.Permanent Secretary Ulitala Hivelua informed the Committee that travel advances still owed by ministerial staff stood at N$320 393 at the end of March 2005.However, over the past couple of months N$23 503 had been recovered through monthly salary deductions.Only N$8 890 was reported to be still outstanding.”It is difficult to collect the debts, as our ministry is only the financial administrator for accounting purposes.The vehicle purchase scheme was run by every ministry separately,” Schlettwein said.The sum still owed is N$888 000.Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Johan de Waal, told Schlettwein that the Committee would look into the matter.”Those officials, regardless of whether they are still in the Public Service or have left, they got those cars and should pay for them,” De Waal told the Permanent Secretary.Meanwhile, the Labour Ministry appears to have improved its track record in the last financial year, overspending its budget by “only” N$273 486.Permanent Secretary Ulitala Hivelua informed the Committee that travel advances still owed by ministerial staff stood at N$320 393 at the end of March 2005.However, over the past couple of months N$23 503 had been recovered through monthly salary deductions.Only N$8 890 was reported to be still outstanding.