Sebetela blasts Mogae,Khama

BAME PIET
Staff Writer | Wednesday February 28, 2007 00:00

 

'The President has failed to crack the whip. Permanent secretaries, ministers, Vice President and the President have failed to take action on the Auditor General's report and other problems in the civil service.' 
He said yearly, the AG highlights almost the same problems but nobody seems to take action and called on the department to be given powers.  'Please give AG executive powers,' the legislator said.

Sebetela said government must improve civil servants' conditions of service if it is to retain competitive staff.  He said employees of parastatals are paid better salaries than their civil service counterparts and urged government to take action. 
Sebetela supported his case on the decline in productivity levels through an answer given by Assistant Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Duncan Mlazie.  The minister said in the 2004/05 financial year government spent P3.9billion out of the P4.4billion development budget. 1,082 projects were planned for that year but only 250 were completed and commissioned.  Mlazie was answering Sebetela who wanted him to state what the number and value of projects planned were; the actual expenditure and actual number of projects completed and commissioned.

The same question was asked for 2005/06 and Mlazie revealed that P3.8 billion was spent out of P4.7billion development budget. 
Parliament heard that in that same year 1,177 projects were planned for but only, 213 were completed and commissioned.  Sebetela insisted that the figures reflect that there is a decline in productivity levels.

MP for Gaborone Central, Dumelang Saleshando, cautioned that it is an anomaly for President Mogae to be charged with the mandate of appointing the AG.  He said that the AG's mandate is to audit government books, hence he is likely to be biased to his employer.  Saleshando argued that Parliament should be given the mandate or at the least be involved in the appointment of an AG. He added that the AG should further be given powers to set conditions of service for employees at his office so it can retain competitive staff. 
However, MP for Shoshong, Duke Lefhoko interjected, reminding Saleshando that the National Assembly is denied powers to appoint its Clerk, and therefore he should forget about the appointment of AG.

Saleshando argued that reports from district councils should also be brought before Parliament for interrogation instead of being taken to the Local Authorities Public Accounts Committee (LAPAC) as it is currently the practice.
MP for Tati East, Guma Moyo felt that to ensure more transparency, an independent auditor should audit the AG's books.