Opposition worried by transfer of PEEPA to OP
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Thursday February 25, 2016 18:00
They expressed concern that the move and other earlier transfers of government departments to the OP are not justified and are likely to overwhelm the office.
When contributing to the debates on the consolidated and development funds estimates 2016/17 committee of supply on Tuesday, Gaborone Bonnington South, MP Ndaba Gaolatlhe, lamented the decision to transfer PEEPA to the OP. He said although he supported the budget for the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, he is not sure if Matambo had anything to do with the decision.
“Out of respect for you minister and the office you hold, I don’t think you had anything to do with that decision. You will tell me but this is not good,” he said.
Another MP, Dithapelo Keorapetse, said he does not understand why PEEPA has to fall under the Office of the President. He said he is not sure whether the office has the requisite capacity to take over PEEPA. The Selebi-Phikwe West legislator said the office is bloated and this affects its efficiency to discharge its mandate.
PEEPA is not the first government department to be transferred to the Office of the President in recent years. The Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) is another government department that was transferred to the OP a few years back.