Maravi

Workshops

Workshops
Written by Editor

It cannot be disputed that the cost of workshops and travel to government is excessively high. There are instances where a great portion of money meant for certain programmes is consumed by workshops and seminars with very little remaining for action implementation. As such, we have ended up with so many recommendations from workshops and seminars with very little, or no, implementation.

We are not saying workshops and seminars are not important. There are some workshops and seminars that are valuable. But like everything else, a balance has to be struck. Workshops and seminars have simply become a source of allowances and per diem for those attending, with no practical value to the nation.

It is also said that some of our top civil and public servants are associated with motels and lodges where such workshops and seminars are directed and deriving huge financial benefits therefrom. It is also said that in some cases, kickbacks are given to those who take workshops and seminars to some lodges, hotels or motels.

So the incentives for workshops and seminars are very high. As for travel, it has been heard that a lot of money is made by civil servants from moving around. Frederick Chiluba last year said he made a lot of money from travel allowances and many civil servants were building houses from such allowances.

If this is so, then there is something seriously wrong with the amounts provided for such travels. Travel allowances were not meant to enrich any civil or public servant. They were simply intended to enable them meet the expenses of their travel and stay. They were not meant to be a source of income or supplement their salary.

Today, we have senior people in government travelling to meetings where they don’t even know what is going on, where they are not needed but simply to get an allowance.

Locally, trips are being made whenever allowances are needed. The cost of all this top government is gigantic and there is need to put a lid on it. Government business has to be conducted in an efficient, effective and orderly manner. There has to be thriftiness and frugality in government expenditure.

Let us look at and learn something from the way the Europeans and others are conducting public affairs. There isn’t the type of travel allowance and per diem that we are dishing out. Even the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund do not enrich their officers through travel allowances and per diems in the way we are doing it.

Therefore, Rupiah Banda’s words on this matter of attending workshops and international travel by permanent secretaries must translate into real action. In fact, Rupiah’s statement must apply to all government officials, not just permanent secretaries. There is a tendency by Rupiah to say things that he does not believe in. He says things just to please and appease his audience. He wants to say things that he thinks people want to hear at a particular time without necessarily being committed to his pronouncements.

Sometimes we have heard Rupiah making some good pronouncements on the fight against corruption when his actions are to the contrary. The line Rupiah took on permanent secretaries’ international travel and their unnecessary attendance of workshops is progressive. However, we will only see that he means what he says when these good pronouncements are translated into deeds.

And to be a good leader, we will expect Rupiah to lead by example. He has to look at the way money is administered starting from his own entourage, the presidential entourage. Each time the President moves, especially out of the country, a lot of money is spent. But we believe that this expenditure can be reduced if there is prudent management. We have heard of some civil and public servants who look forward to presidential trips because it is a time for them to make money. Why? Because a lot of things, if not all, are done in the President’s name and therefore accountability is almost zero. It appears that a lot of officials would find it safer to do things in the President’s name because there is some unwritten rule that the President is above the law and therefore cannot be audited.

We hope Rupiah will lead by example in this matter and ensure prudent management of resources. The billions of kwacha that are every year spent on local and international travel by government officials can go a long way in making a difference to the development of this country.

Labels: WORKSHOPS

posted by MrK @ 9:47 AM