DTA condemns NBC money blues
DTA condemns NBC money blues

DTA condemns NBC money blues

Herma Prinsloo
The official opposition has called on the government to stop bailing out reckless and mismanaged state-owned institutions such as the embattled Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).

“The DTA believes that it is time for the government to set the example and stop rescuing failing and failed enterprises,” the DTA's Nico Smit said yesterday, referring to the financial woes of the NBC, which owes N$15 million to its medical aid fund, Namibia Medical Care (NMC).

Smit also urged an investigation into the non-payment of NBC employees' medical aid contributions, as well as claims that other monthly deductions from staff salaries have not been paid over, which Smit said “blackens an already dark picture”.

“The actions of the NBC management in this regard constitute fraud and/or theft, and it is imperative that the truth be brought to the fore, and that those responsible are held to account.”

He said an urgent official investigation was warranted.

Smit said the inability of the national broadcaster to pay its monthly contributions to NMC “is an indication that those who occupy positions in the above management are wholly incompetent and entirely incapable of holding such posts.”

He added that the “incompetence” of the NBC management was further underlined by its approach to its budget shortfall of N$80 million.

He said “it is puzzling to note” that institutions such as the NBC are “incapable of realising that the institution itself is responsible for making up any shortfalls in national budgetary allocations through diversification and development of new revenue streams.”

Smit pointed out that the financial situation of the NBC was not unique among state-owned enterprises and neither was the expectation that the “government must, and ultimately will, rescue wasteful and mismanaged public entities which prevails across management in the SOE sector.”

He said this reason and the government's inability to say no to bail-outs was partially to blame for the precarious financial and economic times the country faced.

Smit said the DTA had been calling on the government to tighten its belt.

“At times like these, we cannot afford to recklessly spend resources on underperforming and mismanaged public entities.”

The NBC confirmed last week that a letter had been sent to the government.

It was reported at the weekend that the broadcaster had managed to move to a new medical aid fund, with all employees covered after the NBC's suspension from NMC last week.

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-23

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