Political Perspective

IS over-expenditure just a simple matter of going over budget, or does it in fact constitute a form of corruption? I’d say probably the latter, especially in a country with resources as limited as we have in Namibia, and for the additional reason that Ministries and Government departments are annually warned not to do this.

The latest revelation of over-expenditure by the former President’s office was contained in a report by the Auditor General. THIS is not the first, nor the last time, there have been over-expenditures.The question here is whether the same spotlight that has, for example, been thrown on the parastatals or State-owned enterprises (SOEs) with regard to financial wrongdoing should not be turned on Government as well.With all the attention that has recently been given to the parastatals via the media largely because of widespread irregularities, Government itself has not been the subject of public scrutiny, or at least not to the same degree.But lest we forget, over-expenditures in various Ministries, and in this case in the Office of the Former President (now Founding Father) are par for the course, and more often than not, include unaccounted-for subsistence and travel allowances.Any abuse of the latter quite clearly qualifies under the heading of ‘corruption’.Wouldn’t this make an interesting test case of our new Anti-Corruption Commission? Let them take the example in point, scrutinise the matter in its entirety, and set up rules and regulations for Government to follow in this regard in future.I would be surprised if such investigation did not end with a recommendation to take legal action against any Government official, high or low, who abuses S&Ts in future! Apart from the S&T problem in this office, they also went way over budget on air travel expenses, and we must remember, these were incurred by a President who took serious issue with excessive and unnecessary air travel by Ministers and other top Government officials way back, and even demanded to OK every trip that was undertaken.The same Office that implemented these regulations then simply went over budget itself! While the Auditor General’s report highlights this particular office for over-expenditure, it must also be said that this case is not unique to the Office of the President.If anything, such scenarios are widespread in all but a few Ministries, and I am certain that the current President’s budget is going to be even more over the top because it is combined with the Office of the Founding Father! Two Presidents definitely cost more than one, so the prognosis for the next audit is not at all good.But generally speaking the public don’t pay as much attention to budgetary issues as they are increasingly doing, for example, in more classic cases of corruption in the parastatal or private sectors.It probably boils down to a lack of understanding about budgets and all they embrace.But in simple terms of course, all budgets operate on the same principles, and since most families have them as well, this may make it easier for people to understand.You need to work out how to spend your money in order to make it from one month to the next paying for basic necessities and things you have budgeted for, and if one deviates from this, inevitably one ends up in debt.The same applies to Government.So our Anti-Corruption Commission would serve the nation well if it took up such matters as Government over-expenditure.Ministries, despite being urged, year after year, to prune expenses, tend to ignore such advice, even if it does come from the Minister of Finance.Why? Because the repercussions aren’t dire enough if they don’t.At worst they’ll be referred to in an audit report, but other steps against the perpetrators won’t, in all likelihood, occur.If they knew the ACC would be on their trail, then perhaps this would finally cause them to weigh the consequences and spend more wisely, and disallow S&T abuses at all costs.For the time being though, unless our ACC gives itself muscle to probe and prosecute and push ahead with its mandate, Ministries and Departments, including the Office of the President, will continue to overspend their budgets in wasteful and unnecessary ways.THIS is not the first, nor the last time, there have been over-expenditures.The question here is whether the same spotlight that has, for example, been thrown on the parastatals or State-owned enterprises (SOEs) with regard to financial wrongdoing should not be turned on Government as well.With all the attention that has recently been given to the parastatals via the media largely because of widespread irregularities, Government itself has not been the subject of public scrutiny, or at least not to the same degree.But lest we forget, over-expenditures in various Ministries, and in this case in the Office of the Former President (now Founding Father) are par for the course, and more often than not, include unaccounted-for subsistence and travel allowances.Any abuse of the latter quite clearly qualifies under the heading of ‘corruption’.Wouldn’t this make an interesting test case of our new Anti-Corruption Commission? Let them take the example in point, scrutinise the matter in its entirety, and set up rules and regulations for Government to follow in this regard in future.I would be surprised if such investigation did not end with a recommendation to take legal action against any Government official, high or low, who abuses S&Ts in future! Apart from the S&T problem in this office, they also went way over budget on air travel expenses, and we must remember, these were incurred by a President who took serious issue with excessive and unnecessary air travel by Ministers and other top Government officials way back, and even demanded to OK every trip that was undertaken.The same Office that implemented these regulations then simply went over budget itself! While the Auditor General’s report highlights this particular office for over-expenditure, it must also be said that this case is not unique to the Office of the President.If anything, such scenarios are widespread in all but a few Ministries, and I am certain that the current President’s budget is going to be even more over the top because it is combined with the Office of the Founding Father! Two Presidents definitely cost more than one, so the prognosis for the next audit is not at all good.But generally speaking the public don’t pay as much attention to budgetary issues as they are increasingly doing, for example, in more classic cases of corruption in the parastatal or private sectors.It probably boils down to a lack of understanding about budgets and all they embrace.But in simple terms of course, all budgets operate on the same principles, and since most families have them as well, this may make it easier for people to understand.You need to work out how to spend your money in order to make it from one month to the next paying for basic necessities and things you have budgeted for, and if one deviates from this, inevitably one ends up in debt.The same applies to Government.So our Anti-Corruption Commission would serve the nation well if it took up such matters as Government over-expenditure.Ministries, despite being urged, year after year, to prune expenses, tend to ignore such advice, even if it does come from the Minister of Finance.Why? Because the repercussions aren’t dire enough if they don’t.At worst they’ll be referred to in an audit report, but other steps against the perpetrators won’t, in all likelihood, occur.If they knew the ACC would be on their trail, then perhaps this would finally cause them to weigh the consequences and spend more wisely, and disallow S&T abuses at all costs.For the time being though, unless our ACC gives itself muscle to probe and prosecute and push ahead with its mandate, Ministries and Departments, including the Office of the President, will continue to overspend their budgets in wasteful and unnecessary ways.