Parliament ready to crack down on deadbeat tenants

THE parliamentary Public Accounts Committee has taken up the non-payment of rent for Government houses with Prime Minister Nahas Angula.

Johan de Waal, Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee, told the National Assembly this week that they were ready to take the issue further if Angula failed to act on their growing concerns about illegal occupants, non-paying tenants and the deterioration of Government houses and flats. His committee recommended that the Ministry of Works urgently introduce new strategies to improve the current administration, management and maintenance of fixed assets and 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.De Waal said the committee looked seriously into the concerns of non-payment because, for the first time, the Auditor General mentioned properties by name, “thereby confirming what we have been suspecting all along”.A report by De Waal’s committee says the Ministry of Works cannot claim to be in control of its fixed assets despite having spent N$2 million on compiling a fixed-asset register.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.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, however, is 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.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.On Monday, the National Assembly adopted the recommendations made by the committee.His committee recommended that the Ministry of Works urgently introduce new strategies to improve the current administration, management and maintenance of fixed assets and 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.De Waal said the committee looked seriously into the concerns of non-payment because, for the first time, the Auditor General mentioned properties by name, “thereby confirming what we have been suspecting all along”.A report by De Waal’s committee says the Ministry of Works cannot claim to be in control of its fixed assets despite having spent N$2 million on compiling a fixed-asset register.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.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, however, is 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.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.On Monday, the National Assembly adopted the recommendations made by the committee.