Dear Editor – In Star No. 5834 I raised a concern over the press release in which SIG Media Consultant, Alfred Sasako, was boastful about the “A Major Economic Victory” which the DCCG had achieved during the first quarter of this year.
I was glad that Gabriel Taloikwai hit the nail on its head and the next day a retired Auditor-General, Edward Ronia, revealed the process which I know someone like Sasako does not understand, because he had never spent a good time of his working life in the government service.
Sasako seems to give a blind victory to a soccer team during the first game.
There are several games to be played and yet just because his team gave a 10 nil to the opposing team, he thought that was a victory.
No. Just be silent. Wait until the final and then you can shout around the field. But that’s not the end. Wait until the final whistle. Can’t you see that Mr Sasako?
Sasako, there are 3 quarters left before the end of the year. Why you shouted and sang for joy when we are only 25% on our journey to the end of this year?
As Ronia rightly said, the government financial system (expenditure) during the first three months of this year were almost inactive to just less than 50% of its full power.
You know or never know that while the 2015 Appropriation Bill 2015 was yet to be approved, usually the Finance Minister issued an order to stop all Ministries (except for essential services expenditure) from spending until the so-called Appropriation Bill was passed.
So a surplus to the revenue projection must be seen. It’s not something new. There is no new money as stated by the Finance Minister. How can you create new money while creditors are still begging their outstanding bills to be paid?
Referring to my other article on this subject, it would be better for Sasako to remain silent until the end of the fourth quarter of this year.
Then and only then, Sasako and the Finance Minister can sing and dance to any tune of their liking.
Don’t use false tactics to fool the rural people. As I said earlier, the government must raise more than $1.05 billion every three months up to the end of this year to achieve the “people’s budget”.
Sasako, I said this because I spent more than 36 years serving this country in the middle and senior levels and I am familiar with system, especially budgeting processes.
Even if you spent 40 years of your working life in the private sector, it does not mean you understand the government systems. Not at all!
As Ronia said this nation has been misled.
The government should choose the right people to provide consultancy services. Not someone who does not understand the system and can twist government programmes to fool the nation.
That is just bad public relations.
Alfred Maesulia
Honiara
