21 April 2008
The minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Daniel Kwelagobe has demonstrated that telling the truth, and nothing but the truth to Parliament is not such a major requirement.
On March 27, he told the House that government had spent only P1,526,899 on the Presidential Commission on the Review of Salaries and Conditions of Service for the Public Service.
The minister has now changed to say that the actual expenditure as per Government Accounting and Budgeting System (GABS) is P6,252,699.45.
"The error was a result of entries which were not yet captured relating to external travel, air charter and airfares, office equipment, furniture and computers, office rentals, sub-contracts to Actuarial Services companies, staff overtime and related costs. For record purposes, I should indicate that the capturing of adjustment vouchers for 2007/2008 from the Department of supply, Central Transport Organisation and districts that were visited by the commissioners is still on going. I am told therefore that the final abstract of the Annual Statement of Accounts will only be finalised around July 2008. However, I do not believe the difference will be significant," he said in the new statement.
The commission had recommended a 35 percent salary increment for civil servants but government approved 15 percent and then introduced scarce skills allowance for a section of civil service. The move has stirred controversy in the public sector with other cadres demanding to be included in the allowance or they will down tools. This is not the first time a minister has told Parliament untruths. The false statement comes at a time when MPs are complaining that ministers have no respect for Parliament. The MPs have been calling for Parliament to be independent from the Office of the President.
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