Il Governo fa festa mentre il paese brucia: 4,67 miliardi di rand in intrattenimenti e viaggi

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Created on Tuesday, 16 October 2012 14:00

Nel solo anno 2011 il Governo del Sud Africa ha speso 4,67 miliardi di rand in ricevimenti, intrattenimenti e viaggi. Il Sowetan ha titolato la notizia "Government parties while the country burns". Secondo i bilanci presentati in Parlamento, i 34 dipartimenti governativi hanno speso nell'anno fiscale terminato lo scorso 31 marzo 194 milioni per catering, 31,7 milioni per intrattenimenti e 4,4 miliardi per spese di viaggio e di albergo. Il più spendaccione in viaggi è stato il dipartimento della difesa con 780 milioni, seguito dalla polizia con 685 milioni e dalla giustizia con 454 milioni. L'opposizione ha chiesto al ministero delle finanze di raccomandare moderazione nelle spese "in tempi durante i quali i sudafricani poveri fanno fatica a mettere cibo sulla loro tavola".


'Government parties while the country burns' - Sapa, Beeld

The government spent R4.67 billion on catering, entertainment and travel allowances in 2011 - report

The figures emerged from government departments’ financial results tabled in parliament over the past few weeks, Beeld newspaper reported.

In the financial year ending on March 31 2012, the 34 state departments incurred the following costs:

— R194 million for catering

— R31.7 million for entertainment

— R4.4 billion for travel and accommodation expenses.

Dion George, DA MP, said expenditure of this kind while the country bled economically was a disgrace, and that it was totally unacceptable to spend such a large sum of money on frivolities.  

The three departments responsible for the most spending on entertainment, food and travel expenses were:

— defence (R780 million),

— the police (R685 million) and

— justice (R454 million).

The department of defence’s travel and accommodation expenses amounted to R733 million.  

“The DA will send a formal request to the minister of finance to issue a statement in which government departments are asked to stop spending money on luxuries,” George said.

“Wasting money in this manner amounts to negligence, during times in which poor South Africans are struggling to put food on the table.”