Mogadishu (UM) – Somali civil servants and soldiers must work for their pay. This much Minister Beileh is right on but what if you don’t have offices? What if there is no leadership or direction at government institutions? What about pay difference?
The Minister of Finance said he will not pay those that do not fulfil their public duty to the Somali people. Good. However, who brought these people in the first place? This answer will incriminate all key leaders of today and yesterday. Unqualified people are forced on to Ministries by Ministers, clan elders and even friends of senior officials without any questions about qualifications or experience.
It appears that the main reason for working for government in Somalia is not to serve the people but get a salary and in some cases, steal from the public or use positions to get favours. There is no enforceable civil service code and no agreed values to guide official action.
The most capable civil servants are overlooked for clan or political appointees who are a complete waste of hard earned public money. There are a few civil servants that know their role because it was never explained to them. Somali soldiers stand on the streets waving guns often without proper supervised training. How will morale and productivity improve to fulfill obligations?
The PM has spoken of civil service reforms and rewarding the best but no action has followed. The Director General positions advertised over 6 months ago are still not filled with the most qualified candidate because of clan pressure. Clearly, public sector reform and public service is not been taken seriously by both public servants and the political leadership.
Minister Beileh, will continue paying for this whether he likes it or not.