The Cost Of Birthday Ads

ALLOW me a space in you paper to air my views about too much money wasted in the media to wish the President and the Prime Minister ‘Happy Birthday’.

One looks at how much was spent on this matter by the parastatals, municipalities and some private entities and it runs into thousands of dollars. I don’t know whether it makes the President and Prime Minister happier to be given the same message 20 or 30 times in the media.My suggestion is that instead of spending public funds on this, maybe this money could be donated to needy people or projects and simply acknowledge all contributions made once.Of course this opinion wouldn’t be popular with our print media because they have been using this event as a ‘cash cow’ .The masses might not be aware of the costs involved in this exercise.I hope you will be brave to publish this opinion in order for the office of the PM to give feedback as to whether these adverts are money well spent.Titus Petrus Windhoek Note: We have publicly raised this issue ourselves in the past.It is up to private companies to do what they will with their money.Government itself may be a separate, and debatable issue.However, as you know, Government’s ad ban on The Namibian is still in force, and so we have not wasted taxpayer’s money with placement of such ads – EditorI don’t know whether it makes the President and Prime Minister happier to be given the same message 20 or 30 times in the media.My suggestion is that instead of spending public funds on this, maybe this money could be donated to needy people or projects and simply acknowledge all contributions made once.Of course this opinion wouldn’t be popular with our print media because they have been using this event as a ‘cash cow’ .The masses might not be aware of the costs involved in this exercise.I hope you will be brave to publish this opinion in order for the office of the PM to give feedback as to whether these adverts are money well spent.Titus Petrus Windhoek Note: We have publicly raised this issue ourselves in the past.It is up to private companies to do what they will with their money.Government itself may be a separate, and debatable issue.However, as you know, Government’s ad ban on The Namibian is still in force, and so we have not wasted taxpayer’s money with placement of such ads – Editor