By Santy
I am writing to express my worries on excessive travel spending especially by OEK members. As a member of the 7th Senate, I took upon myself not to spend one penny on traveling during my entire term. Though some of these trips are important for building relations with other nations, I did not see that anyone of these trips was required for me to carry out my function as a senator. Today I still strongly hold to this belief so much so during this time of global economic crisis. That is why I am coming out as a private citizen to speak out against waste of public money. Besides traveling to other countries falls under the responsibility of the executive branch; therefore, foreign matters are best left to the Office of the President and Ministry of State or the affected ministry to handle.
Lately I have seen reports by both houses and I can only say that none of the trips were required for the kind of information that they showed in their reports. Senators and Delegates should seriously consider using the internet in canvassing information. Some video tapes of the recent trips only confirm my position that OEK members were only put on as no more than adornment of such delegations to overseas. Some of them appear to function as technical crews while others appear to be spectators at best. I appeal to OEK members to spare the Palauan people’s dignity and our already short national budget.
I personally believe that most, I say most because there are only few trips that genuinely require members of OEK, are glamorized vacation trips for government officials. Before and during my term as a senator, I was never once convinced that money spent on traveling was justified because of the information they brought home was critical for our legislations. Name one and I will be satisfied. Eight OEK members plus five staffs to Manila was too much but a trip for two delegates and three senators recently to Pohnpei for APIL (Association of Pacific Island Legislatures) meeting is plain playing with public funds. Name one benefit Palau has received from APIL in the last few years to justify this spending of public money. Besides, it only took one senator to represent Palau to APIL during 7th OEK. So why does it take five to do the same job? We need the little money that we can save to buy medicines for our hospital, books for our schools, and to repair our failing sewer just to name a few immediate needs during bad economy like now.
— This article was originally published in “Ngarker Olbechel” column in Tia Belau issue of June 22-28, 2009 —
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