Govt eccentricities: of office tea and medical treatment for retired leaders

 

By Karl Lyimo
If by ‘eccentricity’ is meant deviation from an established pattern, rule or norm — deviation that’s especially odd, whimsical or even paranoid — then people (and authorities, including Governments) who act outside of  the normal are eccentric.

This political ‘book-bell-&-candle condemnation’ has been prompted by recent developments, which in My Book of Things, are arguably eccentric. Both relate to really unnecessary expenditure of taxpayer (and donor) funds on two items that should be financed by the beneficiaries themselves: civil servants and retired state leaders!

I’ll explain…

Reportedly, the Govt working through Parliament during the ongoing Budget session in the nation’s phantom capital Idodomya — has set aside Sh9bn (roughly $5.625m at Sh1, 600/$) to provide medical attention to retired state leaders in the 2012/13 financial year.

This covers the entire medical gamut and incidental expenses in foreign lands, from run-of-the-mill checks-up to full course treatment
for anything from the common cold to, to, to… Gosh!

If that’s limited to the two retired presidents, Ally Hassan Mwinyi
(1985-95) and Benjamin William Mkapa (1995-2005), then… Well; it
boggles the mind!

But again: what’ll happen to the money if, by the Grace of God,
none of them’ll need medical attention worth tuppence? I ask
allocation of a whopping Sh15bn ($9.375m) to providing snacks and refreshments - including tea and
‘bitings’ - to workers in Government offices during FY-2012/13! Again, the moneys’ll come from taxpayers in Tanzania and its development partners!
Can you imagine that happening not as a once-and-for-all perk; that
it’s routinely been happening year in, year out?... And that - unless
and until someone in authority puts their foot down in no-nonsense
finality - the eccentricity will be repeated ad infinitum, ad nauseam?

I call it ‘eccentricity’ because the otherwise undeserving
beneficiaries are already reasonably remunerated by the employer government and, as such, should fork out the price from their pockets.

The government should get out of the business of supplying office tea and other culinary/confectionery ‘perks’ - much as it withdrew from mundane business activities in other socio-economic sectors.

The established pattern the world over is for Governments to set up the requisite facilities (canteen premises, etc) and let private players operate the catering business, directly charging consumers accordingly.

For Dar es Salaam to actually provide snacks and refreshments over and above the provision of operating facilities and wages is eccentricity pure and simple!

Ditto for the public funds ostensibly allocated to medical attention
(abroad, no doubt) for retired leaders. Already in place are
functional institutions for that, including Medical/Health Insurance
and Pensions/Provident Fund schemes.

Why should state leaders be accorded special treatment so vastly different from millions of their compatriots?

Weren’t they all born equal and providential? Why should top leaders be above the law? They
never get brought to book for any perpetration, criminal and
otherwise…

And they get free treatment at taxpayer expense — over and above their already lavish remuneration and retirement packages!

Surely, they can most readily afford to contribute to the national
Health and Retirement Schemes already in place, the way other
(ordinary) Tanzanians do?

Tanzania can hardly access socio-economic development funds
sustainably. Why not use the little that’s available to improve/ modernise/expand the already established medical and other
socio-economic facilities and services within the country - instead of wasting same on office tea and otherwise heartily healthy retired leaders? Why not? I ask you! Cheers!