To: The Political Party Flagbearers
cc. The People of Salone.
Dear Sirs,
Today, I wish to discuss the single most critical area that affects the country; FINANCE.
This is the heart of the public sector, and for our level of development, it is also the centre of the economy. When it functions well, the rest of the body will at least have the chance to perform according to plan.
For the last several years this has not been the case. Never mind the ratings given by scorecards, diplomatic statements of foreign visitors, and self serving public statements by Ministers; we all know that in reality, it is not working well.
Ask creditors who have to leave a certain percentage to get their cheques, officials from other ministries who must promise to return with envelopes in order to get their allocations, businessmen who are harassed regularly for money – not for the state coffers of course – and above all look at the amount of customs exemptions given regularly to relatives, friends and associates, review the provisions in many contracts signed and or approved by this Ministry, and your findings will reveal the gravity of the problem.
If you do not believe me, ask the ACC to submit a report on the number of staff in the NRA and MOFED who have built houses in the last 3 years, or gone on holidays to buy houses abroad; then compare the expenses to the income they have earned in their entire careers.
But the problem is not just greed and corruption. It is also the way the system operates. The unfettered powers and discretionary authority given to officials beginning with the Minister downwards.
Future Mr. Presidents, those of you who have been heads of state once, know that even as Head of State, your instructions to that Ministry are not always implemented. Sirs, all of your promises will fail if you do not change the way we manage our finances.
Some observers speculate that as the Head of State, you will find it convenient to allow the situation to remain the same. We do not share this view, because if this is so, then as a Head of State you will never fully carry out the programmes you have promised to us. And all of you tell us how things will be different when you win the elections!
Hence our question to you Sirs is:
How will your New Directions, your March to Prosperity, and other strategies address these problems? And please Sirs, give us detailed answers.
In answering the question Sirs, please explain:
(1) how you will change the current dysfunctional system;
(2) whether you plan to set up a mechanism to monitor the way the officials exercise the discretionary powers they have;
(3) what your plans are for changing the behaviour of the authorities in this Ministry; and
(4) whether you plan to report back to the population every month.
I thank you very much in advance for your response.
Yours Owiwi