The Education Ministry has been starving the Education Development Fund for the past three years, said Auditor General Junias Kandjeke.The Fund was established to provide for the establishment, upliftment, upgrading and improvement of educational facilities and educational programmes to the benefit of socio-economically disadvantaged learners
According to the AG’s report on the accounts of the Fund for the 2018/2019 financial year, the Education Ministry has not given the Fund any money from 2016/2017 until 2018/19.
Meanwhile, the Fund received financial support from the United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF, World Health Organization and the German development agency known as GIZ.
GIZ gave N$2 371 200 in 2018 while Unicef transferred N$ 357 909 in 2018 and N$ 380 and WHO gave N$ 77 395 in 2018.
The German embassy also transferred N$ 750 000.
The fund received an adverse audit opinion from Kandjeke.
An adverse opinion is a professional opinion made by an auditor indicating that a company’s financial statements are misrepresented, misstated, and do not accurately reflect its financial performance and health.
Kandjeke further said the fund spent N$ 3 121 200 without authorization.
The Fund also underspent N$ 2 435 609.
