Finance ministry issue: austerity dented by waste and corruption in the administration

The austerity policy supposed to have been implemented since one year has, somehow, failed to come true. Budget cuts have however been hiding various wastes of money from the administration. As a symbol of high level state funding embezzlement, the HAT leadership is being investigated by the Bianco, the independent anti-corruption office. The austerity policy is going to serve the necessary expenses only, according to the Finance ministry’s general secretary. “In this time of crisis, it is a good thing that we can still afford some expenses to run ministries. We repeatedly have to wonder about the necessary expenses” argued Vonintsalama Andriambololona.  

The Finance ministry subsequently suggested, in diplomatic terms, to put an end to various forms of corruptions which, in the end, are heavily burdening state invoices. “THe best price must be negotiated when purchasing anything since money is missing. We have to make sure that orders are complying with requirements and delivered ” she said. In other words, expenses’ amounts and accounts must be sensibly addressed.  

Some 144 Finance ministry agents have been mobilized in a meeting addressing the public funds embezzlement issue, fund managers, public markets officials and secondary budget organizers. “We are going to reinforce the public expenses’ rules of engagement, since the finance ministry is, as a matter of fact, the source of money, it must make the example “, protested Vonintsalama Andriambololona.   

This Finance ministry’s move only settles half of the problem. Public accountants are merely checking the justifications’ legality. Frauds and embezzlement are actually free from any strings within the administration because how and what for is the legally required amount used remains out of control. The top HAT leadership’s case is revealing the corruption’s extent. Andry Rajoelina had to resort to the Bianco to cleanse his own palace from frauds and especially his reputation. Some ten billions of ariary would have gone down no strings attached.  

Invoice overvaluation seems unavoidable since suppliers themselves are quite willingly involved in the process. Price is a relative notion. The purchase of a printer may cost from 200 000 ariary to 2 millions of ariary. When suppliers get the wanted price, the state is gotten. A certain margin must be thought of for a director, or for various other staff members. The process is so well greased that only extreme cases like a broom purchased for 2 million ariary or a 100 million ariary cost for office relooking are likely to ring the public accountants’ alarm bells. The public expenses’ control system is definitely out as some shadows of honesty culture is failing to be injected within the administration. The Bianco lost of its deterring power.