Calle urges parties to account
Only 6 out of 10 political parties submitted their audited financial statement during the past two financial years.
NDAMA NAKASHOLE
Finance minister Calle Schlettwein has urged each political party to remain accountable to the public in regard to the public funds it receives.
The figures made available by the minister last Thursday in Parliament reveal that during the 2015/16 financial year, only the APP, NUDO, PDM, RDP, SWANU and Swapo party complied with the law.
In respect to the 2016/17 financial year, the complying parties are Swapo, NUDO, PDM, RDP, UDF and UPM.
According to the records at the Electoral Commission of Namibia, quoted by Schlettwein in his response, although compliance vary by each financial year, 8 out of 10 political parties have submitted their audit reports to the commission since 2014.
“On the basis of these compliance records, the Republican Party and the Workers Revolutionary Party have consistently not submitted their audited statements while APP, SWANU, UDF and UPM submissions were inconsistent over the past two years,” said the minister.
In terms of Section 158 of the Electoral Act, (Act No 5 of 2014) political parties represented in Parliament are accountable to the public on the management and utilisation of the taxpayers' money they receive as funding from the national budget. Each financial year, all parties represented in Parliament receive funding from the national budget in line with the proportional representation.
Publishing
Asked why the reports of these parties were not published in at least two daily newspapers as provided for by the law, Schlettwein said: “In terms of Section 158 (6) of the Electoral Act, it's the responsibility of the accounting officer of a political party to ensure that an abridged version of the accounts of a political party is published in at least 2 daily newspapers within 7 days (after) submission of the audited statements to the commission.”
Because of this, Schlettwein said accounting officers of the respective political parties are better placed to account for the publication of their party financials.
The minister further announced that his party, Swapo, had published its 2016/17 financials in 2017 and that audits for 2017/18 are in progress.
Suspension
Although there has been non-compliance by some of the parties, as well as inconsistent compliance by some, no party has had their allocated funds suspended to date. Section 158(8) states that the electoral commission may order the suspension of allocated monies if the commission is, on reasonable grounds, satisfied that the political party has failed to comply with any requirement of the Electoral Act.
Schlettwein said that the ECN is seized with this matter.
Finance minister Calle Schlettwein has urged each political party to remain accountable to the public in regard to the public funds it receives.
The figures made available by the minister last Thursday in Parliament reveal that during the 2015/16 financial year, only the APP, NUDO, PDM, RDP, SWANU and Swapo party complied with the law.
In respect to the 2016/17 financial year, the complying parties are Swapo, NUDO, PDM, RDP, UDF and UPM.
According to the records at the Electoral Commission of Namibia, quoted by Schlettwein in his response, although compliance vary by each financial year, 8 out of 10 political parties have submitted their audit reports to the commission since 2014.
“On the basis of these compliance records, the Republican Party and the Workers Revolutionary Party have consistently not submitted their audited statements while APP, SWANU, UDF and UPM submissions were inconsistent over the past two years,” said the minister.
In terms of Section 158 of the Electoral Act, (Act No 5 of 2014) political parties represented in Parliament are accountable to the public on the management and utilisation of the taxpayers' money they receive as funding from the national budget. Each financial year, all parties represented in Parliament receive funding from the national budget in line with the proportional representation.
Publishing
Asked why the reports of these parties were not published in at least two daily newspapers as provided for by the law, Schlettwein said: “In terms of Section 158 (6) of the Electoral Act, it's the responsibility of the accounting officer of a political party to ensure that an abridged version of the accounts of a political party is published in at least 2 daily newspapers within 7 days (after) submission of the audited statements to the commission.”
Because of this, Schlettwein said accounting officers of the respective political parties are better placed to account for the publication of their party financials.
The minister further announced that his party, Swapo, had published its 2016/17 financials in 2017 and that audits for 2017/18 are in progress.
Suspension
Although there has been non-compliance by some of the parties, as well as inconsistent compliance by some, no party has had their allocated funds suspended to date. Section 158(8) states that the electoral commission may order the suspension of allocated monies if the commission is, on reasonable grounds, satisfied that the political party has failed to comply with any requirement of the Electoral Act.
Schlettwein said that the ECN is seized with this matter.
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