An Unjustifiable Expense

IT was announced this week that Cabinet had approved an expenditure of N$21 676 623 on the construction of offices for the Founding President.

We believe this is both excessive and unjustifiable, particularly in the current depressed economic climate and we would urge a review of this decision. The Cabinet said the following in a statement this week: “The Ministry of Works and Transport, on the advice of the Tender Board, approached the Cabinet Committee on Defence and Security regarding the adjudication of the tender for the construction of offices for the Founding President of the Republic of Namibia.The Cabinet Committee on Defence and Security, under the chairpersonship of the Rt.Hon.Nahas Angula, Prime Minister, advised that Cabinet should be approached on the matter to direct the Cabinet Committee in its decision.The Ministry of Works and Transport wants the tender to be awarded to the lowest tendered of the three vetted contractors.”An amount of N$21 676 623.39 will be spent on the construction of offices for the Founding President if the tender is awarded to the lowest of the three vetted contractors.”In the light of the above, Cabinet directed the Cabinet Committee on Defence and Security to award the tender to the lowest of the three vetted contractors for an amount of N$21 676 623.39”.Although it said that further information could be obtained from the Ministry of Works and Transport, this was largely wishful thinking.Attempts to find someone at said Ministry to answer queries yesterday afternoon proved futile.We were told that the Minister and Deputy Minister were in Parliament, the Permanent Secretary out of the country, and the public relations officer not in his office.Other officials approached could not be of assistance.The Namibian attempted to establish, among others, where the offices would be built, and whether land had been or needed to be purchased for this purpose; what the size of the premises would be; and whether all other avenues of finding existing, perhaps vacant, office space, had been exhausted before authorising this expenditure.It is almost certain that this budgeted amount, even if given to the lowest tenderer, will not increase as the costs of the new State House incrementally increased over the years.Added to this is the fact that presumably new furnishings will be provided for these offices, again at an additional cost.The Cabinet decision has to be seriously questioned in the light of the fact that office space has been provided for the founding President to utilise, and Cabinet gave no reasons as to why these premises (at the former Ombudsman’s office) have been found to be unsuitable for someone who has in any case retired from public life.There is also the matter of precedent to be considered.Is the Government now going to provide, in addition to a generous package for outgoing heads of state, office premises to be built at additional cost? For example, when President Hifikepunye Pohamba retires, is he too, going to be provided with such additional perks? The question also needs to be asked as to what Government functions the retired heads of state are assisting with that requires them to be provided with expensive office space at the cost of the taxpayer? The Namibian Government is fully aware that the world, and no less Namibia, finds itself in perilous economic times.If ever there was a period we needed to tighten our belts and reserve our resources for the most necessary expenditures, it is now.Perhaps if former President Sam Nujoma has not himself been consulted by Cabinet and is not party to the decision to build these new offices, he could take issue and tell the Swapo Government he can continue in the space currently allocated to him and avoid excessive spending at this time.As a man renowned for exhorting countrymen to live within their means, he must surely recognise that Government must apply the same principle.To rescind a decision such as the one that has been taken would surely send the right message to our people and show also that political leadership, whether retired or incumbent, are willing to make do with the facilities and premises they have in the current economic circumstances.We would finally urge Cabinet to make more information known on this decision, and to consider putting this plan on the backburner as a wasteful expenditure at the current time.The Cabinet said the following in a statement this week: “The Ministry of Works and Transport, on the advice of the Tender Board, approached the Cabinet Committee on Defence and Security regarding the adjudication of the tender for the construction of offices for the Founding President of the Republic of Namibia.The Cabinet Committee on Defence and Security, under the chairpersonship of the Rt.Hon.Nahas Angula, Prime Minister, advised that Cabinet should be approached on the matter to direct the Cabinet Committee in its decision.The Ministry of Works and Transport wants the tender to be awarded to the lowest tendered of the three vetted contractors.”An amount of N$21 676 623.39 will be spent on the construction of offices for the Founding President if the tender is awarded to the lowest of the three vetted contractors.”In the light of the above, Cabinet directed the Cabinet Committee on Defence and Security to award the tender to the lowest of the three vetted contractors for an amount of N$21 676 623.39”.Although it said that further information could be obtained from the Ministry of Works and Transport, this was largely wishful thinking.Attempts to find someone at said Ministry to answer queries yesterday afternoon proved futile.We were told that the Minister and Deputy Minister were in Parliament, the Permanent Secretary out of the country, and the public relations officer not in his office.Other officials approached could not be of assistance.The Namibian attempted to establish, among others, where the offices would be built, and whether land had been or needed to be purchased for this purpose; what the size of the premises would be; and whether all other avenues of finding existing, perhaps vacant, office space, had been exhausted before authorising this expenditure.It is almost certain that this budgeted amount, even if given to the lowest tenderer, will not increase as the costs of the new State House incrementally increased over the years.Added to this is the fact that presumably new furnishings will be provided for these offices, again at an additional cost.The Cabinet decision has to be seriously questioned in the light of the fact that office space has been provided for the founding President to utilise, and Cabinet gave no reasons as to why these premises (at the former Ombudsman’s office) have been found to be unsuitable for someone who has in any case retired from public life.There is also the matter of precedent to be considered.Is the Government now going to provide, in addition to a generous package for outgoing heads of state, office premises to be built at additional cost? For example, when President Hifikepunye Pohamba retires, is he too, going to be provided with such additional perks? The question also needs to be asked as to what Government functions the retired heads of state are assisting with that requires them to be provided with expensive office space at the cost of the taxpayer? The Namibian Government is fully aware that the world, and no less Namibia, finds itself in perilous economic times.If ever there was a period we needed to tighten our belts and reserve our resources for the most necessary expenditures, it is now.Perhaps if former President Sam Nujoma has not himself been consulted by Cabinet and is not party to the decision to build these new offices, he could take issue and tell the Swapo Government he can continue in the space currently allocated to him and avoid excessive spending at this time.As a man renowned for exhorting countrymen to live within their means, he must surely recognise that Government must apply the same principle.To rescind a decision such as the one that has been taken would surely send the right message to our people and
show also that political leadership, whether retired or incumbent, are willing to make do with the facilities and premises they have in the current economic circumstances.We would finally urge Cabinet to make more information known on this decision, and to consider putting this plan on the backburner as a wasteful expenditure at the current time.