SOME members of opposition parties have expressed concern over the roles of some of the new ministries announced on Thursday last week by President Hage Geingob.
They also expressed fear over the financial implications that will come with the oversize executive as well as some of the new ministries overlapping functions.
The new parliament has 57 executive members and 47 backbenchers, and six ministries now have two deputy ministers each.
“We were told there will be a reduction in executive members but it has only increased with the new administration,” said Republican Party vice president Clara //Gowases.
//Gowases also said there is no clear distinction between the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development and the Ministry of Public Enterprises.
“They seem to have a similar function of industrial development,” she said.
She also expressed concern over some of the ministries that have two deputy ministers, saying it was a waste of taxpayers’ money since each of the deputies will have their own drivers and personal assistants.
“I don’t see the logic behind the Ministry of Works and Transport having two deputy ministers,” she argued.
//Gowases believes two of the key ministries that were supposed to have two deputies have only been assigned one each.
“Crucial ministries such as education and health should each have two deputy ministries that will be deployed to the regions where they are able to work closely with staff and address issues on the ground,” she said.
Nudo president Asser Mbai said they appreciate Geingob’s efforts in trying to fill some of the gaps left by the Pohamba administration but also concurred with //Gowases that the executive was too large.
“The funds that will be used to pay these members could be used for nation building,” he suggested. “The roles of some of the ministries are not clearly defined such as the veterans’ department falling under the presidency.”
He added that in the past, there has been no deputy minister who complained of too many responsibilities and said the decision to have two deputy ministers was a waste of resources.
DTA president McHenry Venaani also expressed concern over what he termed a bloated civil service that needs downsizing, while political commentator Phanuel Kaapama said there was a high chance of several ministries duplicating roles.
He singled out the renamed Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation and the new Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare as examples.
“You cannot talk about eradicating poverty without talking about unemployment, so how do we make sure these roles don’t overlap?” he said.
Kaapama said the President needs to separate these roles by clearly defining the roles in the performance contracts of the respective ministers to avoid duplication of programmes.
Geingob’s decision to establish a poverty eradication ministry and a disability department has received a lot of praise so far, both from critics and opposition parties.
“The ministry of poverty (eradication) is long overdue and I think it is a good move by the President to put it in place,” RP’s //Gowases said.
However, Kaapama said the portfolios of those in charge of these departments should be clearly defined.
“But this exercise (selection) is still to be completed so we will watch and see how it will all play out,” he said.
