Geingob wants salaries to be secret

SALARIES of politicians will not be disclosed in their declaration of assets, President Hage Geingob has told The Namibian.

Geingob said salaries are ‘personal’, and politicians were thus not obliged to declare them publicly.

He was responding last week to questions asked by The Namibian on whether Cabinet members have declared their riches to him as required by law.

His resolve to keep tax-funded salaries of politicians away from the public eye is contrary to his Harambee Prosperity Plan, which aims to increase transparency in government and retain Namibia’s position as the country with the freest press in Africa.

The Harambee plan also has a target on an access to information law, for which consultations are ongoing this week.

However, the Presidency yesterday claimed that the non-disclosure of the salaries of politicians is merely the position of the President on the issue, insisting that Geingob is pro-transparency, and will leave the decision on whether the salaries of politicians are made public or not to the responsible government agency.

Cabinet members declare their assets twice – to the Presidency, and the National Assembly Speaker.

The Namibian reported last week that 95% of members of parliament declared their assets to the National Assembly.

“All members of Cabinet (the executive) are also members of parliament, and have shared the same information as required by parliament. You can source their declarations from that source,” Geingob stated.

The President said politicians should not be abused for declaring what they own. In fact, the President said he believes that the salaries of political leaders, like any other citizen, should not be made public.

Before going into detail about his reasons, Geingob said the dignity of every Namibian is safeguarded by the Constitution.

“This means that political office-bearers, being citizens of Namibia, should also have their dignity respected,” he said, adding that politicians, like all citizens, strive to safeguard the well-being of their children and families.

“So, it is necessary to draw the line between declarations and the right to personal privacy,” the President said.

According to him, declared information should be treated in a manner which ensures the safeguarding of the dignity of the person who has made that declaration.

“In this regard, declaring one’s assets does not mean that your personal salary should be up for public disclosure,” Geingob stated.

He said this applies to each working citizen in “our Namibian House”.

The salaries of politicians are handled by the Public Office Bearers Remuneration Commission (POBC), a state entity which has earned a reputation for refusing to provide information requested by the media.

The President’s comment about salaries not being up for public disclosure brings to the fore the ongoing debate about how much the Head of State earns, amid concerns that he might be overpaid.

Although the proposed law on how much the President should earn was passed in parliament this month, that legislation only provides percentage differences between the proposed salary of the Head of State and that of the vice president, whose salary in turn is determined by what is earned by the Prime Minister.

That means one has to know how much the premier earns in order to get the total amount earned by the vice president, and subsequently the President.

The POBC has not provided the latest figures, which include the proposed salary for the Prime Minister.

The last official figures provided by the POBC on how much the premier earns were provided in 2012.

This lack of information might also mean that the President is wrongly criticised for being overpaid, while he is in fact paid below the perceived amount. The real figures could be determined if the POBC provides information as requested by the media.

For now, uses estimates and salary increments approved by the government since 2012.

The President has in the past said he does not know how much he earns, but The Namibian reported last month that Geingob (like other Namibian presidents) indirectly determines his salary.

Our calculations show that Geingob could earn around N$1,7 million per year (after the Presidential Remuneration Bill is passed into law), which is more or less 23% more than what former President Hifikepunye Pohamba earned.

“This matter (lack of reply from the POBC) was referred to the POBC, and you are copied into the email correspondence. It is an independent organ of state, and we respect its authority to deal with all matters under its care as it deems fit,” Geingob said.

The POBC has since 2014 ignored requests by The Namibian to provide an updated report on how much politicians earn.

Judge President Petrus Damaseb, who chairs the commission, promised this week that he will ask the POBC secretariat to respond to our enquiry.