Pohamba summons Politburo

President Hifikepunye Pohamba has been caught by surprise to learn that billions of unspent money for TIPEEG and development projects will return to Treasury. With the end of the 2011/2012 book year around the corner the Head of State urgently needed clarification on his ministers’ performance.

Yesterday was crunch time at State House when the President called a special Politburo meeting to take stock of the progress made with regard to development projects for the 2011/2012 financial year.

At the same meeting the President was looking for answers on the slow implementation of projects falling under the Targeted Intervention Programme for Employment and Economic Growth (TIPEEG).

Barely five months ago, the President pulled strings so that N$5, 97 billion be allocated to the 13 political regions to implement the delayed TIPEEG projects meant to create mass employment. The target employment level was estimated to reach about 187 000 if public works programmes are included.

Yesterday’s meeting, came shortly before the introduction of the 2012/2013 budget in the National Assembly. Billions of unspent money meant for TIPEEG projects will now form part of the balance of Government’s accounts and is lost as revenue to fund other development projects.

Regional allocation would have increased to N$4, 03 billion for the 2012/13 financial year, but with the about 31% execution rate of development projects and a 38% execution rate of TIPEEG projects, this amount is likely to be higher than originally planned.

National Planning Commission (NPC) Director General Tom Alweendo informed yesterday’s meeting of the progress made with the projects and a break-down was given of each ministry.

Those ministries and Government agencies performing the best with regard to TIPEEG and development projects are Education, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Gender Equality and Child Welfare, National Planning Commission, Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development, Labour, Veterans’ Affairs, Environment and Tourism as well as the Department of Works.

“Although all these ministries are not outstanding, at least they have tried to implement some of the projects. In the case of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the execution rate is zero, while in the case of the Youth Ministry it is only 3%,” a senior Swapo leader told Namibian Sun last night.

Last year the President also summoned several ministers to State House and expressed dissatisfaction with the rate at which TIPEEG was being implemented.

“This time the President was more serious. His intentions are that the projects should be implemented as soon as possible but it seems that some of the ministers care less about his appeals. They would rather waste their energy playing the tribal drums and campaigning for a successor for President Pohamba.”

However, the source added, all the Politburo members are also Cabinet members and the President might find it difficult to discipline them.

“This would be some sort of test case for him. He should instill some confidence to the electorate otherwise they will start losing faith in the Head of State,” said the Swapo leader.

The President expected better implementation, monitoring and reporting for the TIPEEG projects.

It is expected that a Swapo Central Committee meeting will be held during the second week of next month when the implementation of the projects will be discussed in depth.

click to enlarge SO SLOW: With the rain of the past few days Windhoek residents living in harsh conditions in informal settlements and who could already have benefi tted from TIPEEG projects, started sealing off their roofs against water leakages © Faith Sankwasa