By Ednal Palmer
The GREAT Coalition has confirmed 54 political appointees, with a further four appointments reportedly made but yet to be formally signed, potentially bringing the total to 58.
The development has renewed scrutiny over the size of the Government’s political appointment system and its cost to taxpayers.
Based on a previous Government benchmark, the potential annual cost of 58 political appointees could be in the region of SBD21.6 million if all four outstanding appointments are formally taken up.
The 54 confirmed appointments are understood to have completed the appointment process, while the additional four have been appointed but are still awaiting the signing of their contracts.
If those appointments are finalised, the Government’s political establishment would rise to 58.
The latest figure comes amid continuing political debate over the number of appointments made since Prime Minister Matthew Wale’s GREAT Coalition came to office in May.
The Opposition had previously called on Wale to disclose the number of political appointees and the total cost to taxpayers, claiming the figure had risen above 70.
A separate report in July, citing an insider, put the number at fewer than 50.
Prime Minister Wale when questioned by the media about the numbers in June this year, said numbers are important, but number itself cannot dictate the number of people his government needs.
“We have a very ambitious programme, a very, very ambitious programme.
“What we want to do in two years is to reset the past 10 years of negligent leadership.
“Number is important, but number itself cannot dictate the number of people we need.
“The important thing is the quality of the appointments, that they are people capable of doing the people’s business, transacting the people’s business.
“So that’s the approach we’re taking. We’re not hooked on numbers.”
The confirmation of 54 completed appointments now provides a clearer indication of the size of the Government’s political appointments.
Potential $21.6M Annual Bill
The Government has not publicly released a consolidated figure showing the total salaries, allowances and other benefits attached to the 54 appointments.
However, previous figures provide a basis for estimating the potential cost.
The Opposition has cited a previous government that had 51 political appointees costing more than SBD19 million annually. It also said the reduction of political appointees to 36 resulted in savings of more than SBD6 million.
Using the SBD19 million figure as a benchmark, the average annual cost per political appointee was approximately SBD372,549.
Applying that historical average to the current 54 confirmed appointments produces an estimated annual cost of approximately SBD20.12 million.
That equates to roughly:
-
SBD1.68 million a month
-
SBD55,000 a day
-
SBD80.47 million over four years
If the four outstanding appointments are formally signed, bringing the total to 58, the same historical benchmark would put the estimated annual cost at approximately SBD21.61 million.
That would amount to about:
-
SBD1.80 million a month
-
SBD59,200 a day
-
SBD86.43 million over four years
The actual cost could be higher or lower depending on the salaries, allowances, housing, travel and other benefits contained in individual contracts.
Accountability and Value For Money
Political appointments are generally intended to provide governments with political advice, policy support, strategic coordination and specialist expertise to assist in implementing their programmes.
The Government can argue that such appointments are necessary to support the GREAT Coalition’s policy and reform agenda.
However, the growing number of appointments raises questions about value for money and transparency in the use of public funds.
For taxpayers, the issue extends beyond the number of people appointed. It includes how much each position costs, what responsibilities each appointee has and what measurable contribution each position makes to the Government’s programme.
For a Government that has made commitments to reform, accountability and responsible management of public resources, the publication of the full appointment list and associated costs would provide taxpayers with a clearer picture of where public money is being spent.
