This artilce appeared in the Daily Monitor dated 10 Feb 2008 wittten by Chris Obore. If there us truhg in this, then ther could be something worth noting!
CHRIS OBORE
Only President, VP, Speaker and Deputy, PM to keep cars
Car repairs cost Shs68bn yearly; primary health only Shs6bn
Credibility cited in policy reform, 81bn saving expected
COMING amidst heated public debate about unequal distribution of public sector jobs, some NRM parliamentarians have released a report showing how the government’s spending priorities are skewed in favour of non-essential items such as entertainment.
The report, which was made public during a meeting of the ruling party’s parliamentary caucus on Monday last week by Mr Barnabas Tinkansimire (NRM, Buyaga), makes drastic recommendations for cost-cutting, amongst which is the wholesale offloading of government cars.
Mr Tinkansimire’s document reveals how during the 2006/07 financial year the government spent Shs10.9 billion on allowances while just Shs6 billion was spent on primary healthcare. Primary healthcare programmes mainly focus on management of common diseases such as malaria, especially in rural areas where 80 percent of Ugandans live.
Although the government has rolled out several pro-poor programmes such as agricultural extension, primary healthcare, universal primary and secondary education, the allocation of resources, especially money, does not reflect the necessary commitment to see them through.
Consequently, many critics have long pointed at the huge cost of public administration as one of the impediments to improving people’s lives in a country where 31 percent of the population lives in abject poverty.
For instance, the report notes, the government last financial year spent Shs68.5 billion on maintaining its fleet of thousands of fuel-guzzling 4WD vehicles (engine capacity ranging between 2000cc and 3500cc), while allocating a disproportionate Shs14.5 billion for the repair of district roads.
And while Shs23 billion was spent on buying fuel and oils for public vehicles, a measly Shs4.4 billion was allocated to urban road repairs, fortifying the view that taxpayers were paying more for the driving comfort of bureaucrats than for a public good like roads.
Maintenance of cars poses a particular headache with the report noting that “most government vehicles are always in garages” where they are “cannibalised … by garage owners well knowing that government will after all buy new spare parts to repair their vehicles”.
Adds the report: “On the other hand transport officers/drivers connive with garage owners to inflate bill on the job cards.”In the same period, the government spent Shs2.2 billion on “welfare and entertainment” of bureaucrats whereas it spent Shs1.5 billion on the provision of urban water.
Agricultural extension received Shs3.06 billion in the same year as the government splashed Shs10.04 billion on inland travel. A vast majority of Ugandans depend directly on agriculture for their livelihood.
The Tinkasiimire group included MPs Henry Banyenzaki (NRM, Rubanda West), Dr Chris Baryomunsi (NRM, Kinkizi East) and Dr Sam Lyomoki (NRM, Workers). In the interest of reducing spiralling public administration costs, they recommended that a car co-ownership scheme replaces the existing arrangement.
Under the scheme, ministers and civil servants would meet 50 percent of the cost of running the vehicle for five years then later own it permanently without paying taxes, which taxes will be waived.
“The [NRM] caucus adopted our report and we have been asked to sit with the ministers of Finance and Works to work out modalities on how to operationalise it,” Mr Tinkasiimire said. “After we have worked out that, we shall present a Bill to Parliament in three months.”
The MPs’ report proposes that only the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice, Deputy Chief Justice, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament continue enjoying transportation at the taxpayers’ cost.
Currently, all ministers, permanent secretaries, directors, senior consultants, commissioners, heads of government projects all totalling to 670 are entitled to a government vehicle.
Other categories of staff use pool vehicles.At the headquarter level alone, government vehicles numbered 12,004 by 2005, excluding all those managed under government-affiliated projects. This figure may have more than doubled considering that the total number of public officers, starting with the President, who are entitled to cars, today stands at 40,679.
In the 2006/07 financial year, Shs221 billion was budgeted to buy new vehicles reflecting the pressure that transportation of staff exerts on the country’s already limited resources.During the 7th Parliament, Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi astonished the public when he said that ministers and other technocrats enjoy chauffeur-driven 4WD cars because Uganda’s roads are in terrible shape.
However, if the proposed co-ownership scheme is adopted by Parliament, the costs of the driver, fuel and car service will now be met by the ministers and technocrats. After all, a lot of these official cars also conduct personal business.Still, some MPs think it will not work well despite the good intentions.
“That is what the party has agreed and I can’t disagree but we tried the co-ownership scheme in 1991 and it failed,” said Mr George William Wopuwa (NRM, Bubulo East). “At the end of it all, it will be like government is buying cars for individuals by paying consolidated mileage.”
Mr Wopuwa is the chairman of Parliament’s Committee on Public Service and Local Government. He said that some officers will park their cars at home and go to office to (mis)use the few remaining government vehicles.
“The biggest problem is that the people supposed to control the use of cars are normally the ones who flout the regulations,” Mr Wopuwa said.
But Mr Tinkasiimire said they have conducted studies in countries like Rwanda, Botswana, Namibia and Mauritius where co-ownership works.
Further, using the 2006/07 budget estimates, the report says that co-ownership would eventually guarantee a net annual saving of Shs81.9 billion in fuel and maintenance costs.
Mr Tinkasiimire’s report concludes that “this reform will be seen as pro-poor …. [and] it will give government more credibility amongst the local population and donor community”.
SELECTED GOVT EXPENDITURE AT A GLANCE
MINISTRY BUDGETS
Amount
Allowances to officials 10,926,500,000
Inland travel 10,043,703,000
Grants to ministries 6,015,565,000
Grants to ministries 7,764,203,000
Welfare and entertainment 2,258,836,000
Fuel and oils 23,454,685,000
Maintenance of vehicles 68,538,035,000
KEYLOCAL GOVT SERVICES
Primary Health Care development 6,095,700,000
Agriculture extension 3,060,225,000
District equalisation grant 3,494,160,000
Functional adult literacy 1,597,760,000
Urban water 1,503,910,000
Urban roads 4,404,595,000
District roads 14,510,969,000
SOURCE: Ministry of Finance (Budget 2006/2007)
Showing posts with label african politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label african politics. Show all posts
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
The idiot’s guide to winning an election in Africa
The followng articel written by Nicholas Ssengoba appeared in the Daily Monitor, November 13, 2007
Pumbavu” the Kiswahili word for “foolish” could easily pass as Kenyan President, Emilio Mwai Kibaki’s favourite pejorative which causes laughter whenever he liberally uses it at rallies to ridicule and put down his opponents. Trouble is that, what the opinion polls are saying about Kibaki’s chances at the presidential election slated for December 27, 2007 is no laughing matter.
Kibaki risks falling into the enigmatic category of the great African wa pumbabavu; i.e the rare species of incumbent African leaders, who while in office organise elections, stand and lose to a (mere) challenger.
With the countless number of times The idiot’s guide to winning an African election, has been updated, a president would have to be irredeemably foolish to come second at the polls. Like the typical African man who has the daunting task of tasting the meat (and picking out the choicest pieces) before any member of the family, the president in Africa has the unenviable burden of hand-picking the Electoral Commission (EC) to “his satisfaction”.
The affluently facilitated EC quickly studies the complex theory regarding the relationship between the payer, the piper plus the tune, then goes about organising “a free and fair election” with gusto.
Miracles start to happen when cleaning the voters register. The dead come to life, while the living, especially where the incumbent is unpopular becomes the “living dead”.
Coming after this fashion later at the polls, the EC sends the wrong register to the right polling station or the ballot papers without the voters register or better still the ballot boxes without the ballot papers rendering the whole process a shambles.
Meanwhile, the president uses the massive funds he has amassed over the years (the ones that make the Mo Ibrahim prize unnecessary) to bait elements into defecting from his opponents camps. Several political parties thereafter emerge under the pretext that this reflects the “pluralism and maturity of a democracy”. In effect the president’s rival’s votes are scattered.
The campaign period is the best time to implement some “sensitive” aspects of the manifesto (remember it?) The incumbent breaks the bank and starts distributing “seed money” towards “self-help groups” on the eve of the election as his relentless effort towards “poverty alleviation” with the promise of better things to come if they vote for “continuity”.
Also he creates districts out of as many counties as possible purportedly to take services closer to the people, in fact creating jobs for hangers on.
Since leaders are chosen by God, the incumbent creates an alliance with churches, and “facilitates” them to preach a gospel that promotes his cause. The gullible flock is made to understand that their pastor had a vision whereby the Almighty promised miracles to those who vote the incumbent and curses to those who “waste” their votes.
In the background, the police and the army expeditiously “enforce law and order” to ensure the polls take place in a “peaceful environment” devoid of “intimidated voters”. They devotedly disperse the opponent’s crowd, jailing and canning “troublesome” fellows. The press is made to “visit” the police from time to time for “consultations” on stories that are considered “biased” against the incumbent.
Elsewhere, the incumbent exploits his position and uses all state facilities for his campaign. He freely gets all the time on state radio and television which have the widest coverage, under the guise of a countrywide tour to sensitise citizen on “developmental matters”. The opponents with their meager finances are left to buy expensive airtime from private radio and television stations.
Since in Africa we are not so good at counting, as it is abominable to count our children, wives and cows, the EC understandably finds trouble adding up the votes even with the help of computers and signed tally sheets.
Added, some subversive election officials who “hate” the sitting president credit him with some of his opponents’ votes to “punish” him with the “unpleasant” task of running “his” backward country and taking all the insults by the press.
By this time, the cadre judges appointed before hand, will be ready to deliver those “it was theft, but not theft enough” judgments in case any misguided opponent goes to the courts seeking justice.
And because the African State is perennially a “young democracy” stuck at the “learning stage”, the result will be accepted and life will go on. And if all this works out well Kibaki, lift those term limits. Politics isn’t a school nor are politicians school boys to be limited by “terms”. Then you may rule for life, thereafter.
It is never too late in Africa. Kibaki, look at the happy neighbour on the western side of your house; you could learn a trick or two.
Leave State House Nairobi unceremoniously like a chicken thief, after only five years is not an option. It is very uncomfortable for an elder to sit among the wa pumbavu!
nicholassengoba@yahoo.com
Pumbavu” the Kiswahili word for “foolish” could easily pass as Kenyan President, Emilio Mwai Kibaki’s favourite pejorative which causes laughter whenever he liberally uses it at rallies to ridicule and put down his opponents. Trouble is that, what the opinion polls are saying about Kibaki’s chances at the presidential election slated for December 27, 2007 is no laughing matter.
Kibaki risks falling into the enigmatic category of the great African wa pumbabavu; i.e the rare species of incumbent African leaders, who while in office organise elections, stand and lose to a (mere) challenger.
With the countless number of times The idiot’s guide to winning an African election, has been updated, a president would have to be irredeemably foolish to come second at the polls. Like the typical African man who has the daunting task of tasting the meat (and picking out the choicest pieces) before any member of the family, the president in Africa has the unenviable burden of hand-picking the Electoral Commission (EC) to “his satisfaction”.
The affluently facilitated EC quickly studies the complex theory regarding the relationship between the payer, the piper plus the tune, then goes about organising “a free and fair election” with gusto.
Miracles start to happen when cleaning the voters register. The dead come to life, while the living, especially where the incumbent is unpopular becomes the “living dead”.
Coming after this fashion later at the polls, the EC sends the wrong register to the right polling station or the ballot papers without the voters register or better still the ballot boxes without the ballot papers rendering the whole process a shambles.
Meanwhile, the president uses the massive funds he has amassed over the years (the ones that make the Mo Ibrahim prize unnecessary) to bait elements into defecting from his opponents camps. Several political parties thereafter emerge under the pretext that this reflects the “pluralism and maturity of a democracy”. In effect the president’s rival’s votes are scattered.
The campaign period is the best time to implement some “sensitive” aspects of the manifesto (remember it?) The incumbent breaks the bank and starts distributing “seed money” towards “self-help groups” on the eve of the election as his relentless effort towards “poverty alleviation” with the promise of better things to come if they vote for “continuity”.
Also he creates districts out of as many counties as possible purportedly to take services closer to the people, in fact creating jobs for hangers on.
Since leaders are chosen by God, the incumbent creates an alliance with churches, and “facilitates” them to preach a gospel that promotes his cause. The gullible flock is made to understand that their pastor had a vision whereby the Almighty promised miracles to those who vote the incumbent and curses to those who “waste” their votes.
In the background, the police and the army expeditiously “enforce law and order” to ensure the polls take place in a “peaceful environment” devoid of “intimidated voters”. They devotedly disperse the opponent’s crowd, jailing and canning “troublesome” fellows. The press is made to “visit” the police from time to time for “consultations” on stories that are considered “biased” against the incumbent.
Elsewhere, the incumbent exploits his position and uses all state facilities for his campaign. He freely gets all the time on state radio and television which have the widest coverage, under the guise of a countrywide tour to sensitise citizen on “developmental matters”. The opponents with their meager finances are left to buy expensive airtime from private radio and television stations.
Since in Africa we are not so good at counting, as it is abominable to count our children, wives and cows, the EC understandably finds trouble adding up the votes even with the help of computers and signed tally sheets.
Added, some subversive election officials who “hate” the sitting president credit him with some of his opponents’ votes to “punish” him with the “unpleasant” task of running “his” backward country and taking all the insults by the press.
By this time, the cadre judges appointed before hand, will be ready to deliver those “it was theft, but not theft enough” judgments in case any misguided opponent goes to the courts seeking justice.
And because the African State is perennially a “young democracy” stuck at the “learning stage”, the result will be accepted and life will go on. And if all this works out well Kibaki, lift those term limits. Politics isn’t a school nor are politicians school boys to be limited by “terms”. Then you may rule for life, thereafter.
It is never too late in Africa. Kibaki, look at the happy neighbour on the western side of your house; you could learn a trick or two.
Leave State House Nairobi unceremoniously like a chicken thief, after only five years is not an option. It is very uncomfortable for an elder to sit among the wa pumbavu!
nicholassengoba@yahoo.com
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