DAVID MASONDO: Government set to trim its spending on overpriced office space
Landlords are making a killing when they could offer more reasonable leases
Bailouts of inefficient state-owned companies, the wage bill and debt service costs are not the only expenditure items driving public debt. Expenditure reviews by the Treasury, through the Government Technical Advisory Centre, have identified areas of wastage and potential savings, which, if addressed, can reduce public debt and redirect funds towards pro-poor and economic growth-enhancing public expenditure.
The expenditure reviews have covered a large spectrum of activities, including savings that might accrue from consolidating administrative functions within particular departments of government. Clear themes have emerged from these reviews, the most important of which is that the government often fails to secure the most competitive prices for a range of goods and services. Take, in this regard, the conclusions of two reviews of the price the government pays to lease office space, one relating to national departments and the other to provincial government...
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