A survey of government buildings and what it spends on lodging State functionaries and services is underway.

Two field missions to consolidate arrears incurred by the State with regards to rents. Irrespective of successive audits carried out by the government and a private firm, the irregularities abound. With cases whereby some State functionaries occupy buildings paid for by the State and continue to receive rent allowances from the State. This is heavy on the State’s payroll. A field mission made up of a central team coordinated by the Director General of Budget, assisted by the Director of Military Housing in the Ministry of Defence and the Director of State Housing in the Ministry of State Property and Land Tenure, has been tasked with rendering efficient the procedure for securing State accommodation throughout the national territory as well as put in place confidence-building measures among all the stakeholders.

The census that was expected to last from November 15 to December 31^st, according to information garnered at the Ministry of Finance yesterday November 21, also involves an operational team composed of senior officials of the Directorate General of Budget, Regional Delegates of the Ministry of State Property and Land Tenure and chiefs of military sectors. The teams will in the coming days identify and situate State landlords, review contracts signed between the State and landlords, verify attestations of ownership, determine the quality of buildings, verify the physical state of buildings, identify the main occupants and services lodged by the buildings and determine the amount of arrears the State owes landlords.

State landlords have been invited to report to regional delegations of the Ministry of State Property and Land Tenure with a file made up of photocopy of their Identity Cards, tax payer’s card, passport size photographs, contract signed with the State, certificate of non-authorisation and a bank statement. Occupants of such buildings are expected to present photocopies of their Identity Cards, recent pay slip and certificate attesting that they have been lodged.

It was revealed at the Communication Unit of the Ministry of Finance that with regards to the problem, the ministry is regularly petitioned by landlords for unpaid rents. The rents for State accommodation until now, were paid through the treasury upon instructions from the Ministry of Finance or as part of internal debts of the State. But the absence of traceability on the treatment of the files on paid and unpaid bills necessitated the field work. It is incumbent on the State to computerise a database capable of ensuring efficiency in the management of arrears of rents owed by the State.

Gédéon Adjomo, Research Assistant in the Communication Unit of the Ministry of Finance explained that some State functionaries who are lodged and continue to receive rent allowances risk re-imbursing what they have unduly earned.