EDITORIAL: The illusion of government savings

The new administration’s decision to slash the number of government ministries from 21 to 14 has been applauded by some as a masterstroke in cost-cutting. A bold move, they say. But scratch beneath the surface, and the math simply doesn’t add up.

Let’s be honest: trimming seven ministers from their posts is hardly a fiscal revolution – especially when the rest of the machinery remains untouched. Executive directors and other officials below them are all still snug in their seats. In some merged ministries, there are now two executive directors coexisting in a space originally meant for one. That's not streamlining – that's doubling up.

Take the ministry of fisheries, for example. With the exception of the former minister and his deputy, the entire team has simply taken a stroll across the street to the ministry of agriculture. The only thing that has changed is the door sign.

Namibia’s bloated civil service has long been an open secret – more than 107 000 government employees on the payroll.

Dropping seven ministers from the list doesn't even scratch the surface of that number.

Now, don’t get us wrong. We're not advocating for mass retrenchments or a bureaucratic purge. We’re actually relieved that public servants still have jobs in these difficult times. But let’s not pretend we’re cutting fat by just ushering a few big names out the front door while the engines keep running as before.

If the government is serious about trimming excess, the real savings lie elsewhere – like curbing extravagant travel allowances and grounding the endless local and international trips that gobble up public funds. Or finally plugging the holes through which millions vanish in the name of "consultations" and "workshops".

Cutting costs isn’t about flashy headlines. It’s about tough, and often unglamorous, choices.