MP questions poverty budget
DTA parliamentarian Elma Dienda feels the 14% budget allocation increase awarded to the Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare is not justified because the only unique initiative introduced by the ministry is the food bank pilot programme.
“A year on and it appears that the only unique initiative that has been brought by the Ministry of Poverty Eradication is the Food Bank pilot programme. A programme which has already been mentioned by other speakers before me and is not without many administrative problems,” said Dienda who voiced her concerns during the budget contribution in the National Assembly.
She said she had already expressed her concerns last year when she questioned the introduction of the ministry. She said a year later, it is still unclear why the poverty eradication ministry was created arguing that the purpose it is supposed to serve is a crosscutting function that should be performed collectively by all ministries, offices and agencies.
According to her, an improvement in the provision of social services will not happen automatically because a new ministry has been created.
“Instead, what is needed is to strengthen the operational capacity of those ministries who have the potential to directly impact on the livelihoods and wellbeing of our people,” Dienda said, making specific reference to the health ministry and the two education ministries.
According to her, the payment of social grants and pension was already performed by other existing departments and therefore, it should not be seen as a new function.
Dienda said although the ministry was intended to “boost” the fight against poverty, it has unfortunately not proven to be the case in reality.
“All the creation of this ministry has done is further increase the public service wage bill, which the finance minister of Ffnance has already admitted is “unsustainably high”.
Dienda said the amount budgeted towards salaries and operational costs for the poverty ministry is well over N$42 million which she said could have been better spent by existing ministries and departments to fight poverty, instead of employing more staff to perform functions that already being done by other civil servants.
“The question one has to ask is what are these people being paid to do, considering the fact that the only new initiative from the ministry is the food bank pilot programme. Surely, spending N$42 million for people to distribute food is not the most cost effective manner in which this money could have been spent? Are we really doing “more with less”, when one looks at such strange decisions?” Dienda asked.
She also said that food provided to selected learners in some schools by the ministry is leading to victimisation.
“Those learners who receive food are labelled poor and told by their peers that their parents do not care about them and don't give them food. This victimisation has meant that even when a learner is genuinely in need of the food they would rather keep quiet and go hungry because they are afraid of the stigma that goes with it.”
According to her, a better approach would be to provide meals to all primary and secondary school learners early in the morning.
She further said other target groups of the food bank scheme should be people living with disabilities and orphans and vulnerable children.
ELLANIE SMIT
“A year on and it appears that the only unique initiative that has been brought by the Ministry of Poverty Eradication is the Food Bank pilot programme. A programme which has already been mentioned by other speakers before me and is not without many administrative problems,” said Dienda who voiced her concerns during the budget contribution in the National Assembly.
She said she had already expressed her concerns last year when she questioned the introduction of the ministry. She said a year later, it is still unclear why the poverty eradication ministry was created arguing that the purpose it is supposed to serve is a crosscutting function that should be performed collectively by all ministries, offices and agencies.
According to her, an improvement in the provision of social services will not happen automatically because a new ministry has been created.
“Instead, what is needed is to strengthen the operational capacity of those ministries who have the potential to directly impact on the livelihoods and wellbeing of our people,” Dienda said, making specific reference to the health ministry and the two education ministries.
According to her, the payment of social grants and pension was already performed by other existing departments and therefore, it should not be seen as a new function.
Dienda said although the ministry was intended to “boost” the fight against poverty, it has unfortunately not proven to be the case in reality.
“All the creation of this ministry has done is further increase the public service wage bill, which the finance minister of Ffnance has already admitted is “unsustainably high”.
Dienda said the amount budgeted towards salaries and operational costs for the poverty ministry is well over N$42 million which she said could have been better spent by existing ministries and departments to fight poverty, instead of employing more staff to perform functions that already being done by other civil servants.
“The question one has to ask is what are these people being paid to do, considering the fact that the only new initiative from the ministry is the food bank pilot programme. Surely, spending N$42 million for people to distribute food is not the most cost effective manner in which this money could have been spent? Are we really doing “more with less”, when one looks at such strange decisions?” Dienda asked.
She also said that food provided to selected learners in some schools by the ministry is leading to victimisation.
“Those learners who receive food are labelled poor and told by their peers that their parents do not care about them and don't give them food. This victimisation has meant that even when a learner is genuinely in need of the food they would rather keep quiet and go hungry because they are afraid of the stigma that goes with it.”
According to her, a better approach would be to provide meals to all primary and secondary school learners early in the morning.
She further said other target groups of the food bank scheme should be people living with disabilities and orphans and vulnerable children.
ELLANIE SMIT
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