SCC denies no-show at hearing

THE Social Security Commission (SSC) has hit back at media reports that it failed to show up at parliamentary standing committee public hearing on Thursday to account on its financial matters.

SSC chief executive officer Kapara Tjivikua said the commission had delegated its finance general manager, Vermujengua (VT) Kavari, to represent it and provide explanations as required. However, the standing committee considered it as the SSC having failed to pitch at the hearing and rescheduled it after Kavari had said that he would represent the commission alone. The arrangements for Kavari to be delegated to the public hearing on behalf of the SCC was verbally agreed upon with the standing committee’s secretary, George Shinyala, said Tjivikua. ‘It should be noted that the invitation to attend the hearing did not indicate whether the executive officer should attend in person, or the number of SCC representatives required to attend the hearing. Why did the standing committee suddenly change the arrangement and why could the hearing not proceed? Why should the SCC carry the blame?’ Tjivikua remarked angrily. ‘It should not be about me, I’m only heading the commission,’ he added.He added there is ‘no rule’ on the number of delegates that should represent a State-owned enterprise before a public hearing.. Tjivikua said he could not attend the hearing because of previously scheduled engagements on the same day. He said the SCC had already forwarded a written response to the parliamentary standing committee to questions related to the maternity leave, sick leave and death benefit fund.Approached for comment yesterday, Shinyala referred The Namibian to the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on public accounts, Usutuaije Maamberua. Maamberua said Tjivikua could have asked the committee to reschedule the hearing in order to send a number of senior officials. ‘No, otherwise I would have rejected it,’ Maamberua said when asked about Tjivikua’s claim that he had made arrangements for Kavari to attend the hearing alone. Maamberua indicated that the Karakul Board, War Veterans’ Board and National Heritage Council had also failed to show up at the public hearing to account for their financial matters. ‘I understand they have difficulty in answering written questions sent to them,’ he added. ‘Whether we want to or not, we have to reschedule the hearing if those summoned to appear fail to do so,’ Maamberua said. ‘Only after three or four times, we can take legal or disciplinary action,’ he added.luqman@namibian.com.na