Freeze the Youth Fund
Friday, April 08, 2016
A case in point is the Youth Development Fund (YDF), established seven years ago. It is as noble an initiative as any other in government’s array of measures to support its citizens. The YDF, an empowerment programme aimed at out-of-school, marginalised and unemployed youth, provides successful applicants with up to P100,000 comprising of both a grant and an interest free loan.
As with the road paved with good intentions, the YDF has morphed into a sinkhole of public revenues, with millions of pula disbursed and unaccounted for, while the projects initiated have in many cases collapsed.
Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...