#Gabon: Interview jean fidèle Otandault

                   "Some doubted our willingness to do housework"

 

  Its powers of investigation were successful. The Director General of the control of public resources has pinpointed the flaws and inconsistencies in the Gabonese financial system. And promises of change.

Accountant and auditor, Jean fidèle Otandault says himself: it is not official. However, the native of Port-Gentil is a pillar of the reform of financial authorities in Gabon. It was launched in 2010 with the passage of the organic law on public finance, which introduces a small revolution in the method of preparation of the budget. In January, the country will pass a budget presentation by means of a budget by the target program.

Since he answered the call of Ali Bongo Ondimba, in January 2011, for a consultation which culminated in May 2012, his appointment as CEO of the control of resources and public office (DGCRCP) Jean Faithful Otandault does not please everyone. And for good reason. The new authority that directs incorporates the functions of the former management of financial control, dissolved but has broader powers in investigating ... What annoy some unscrupulous.

Between early 2013 and until the second quarter of 2014, the DGCRCP conducted an audit of public finances has uncovered overcharging, bad debts and an economy predation state monies. The auditor is also the target of the opposition, which accuses him pell-mell, as well as the executive, a sanitation sham maneuvers and electioneering to embarrass former barons of the regime went into opposition.

Jeune Afrique: Why auditing of public finances has he not been launched four years ago, at the beginning of the seven?

Jean fidèle Otandault: Because it is part of a broad reform. It is the result of a process that began in 2010 by a vote of the organic law establishing budgeting program objective. In 2012, DGCRCP was created, and in the meantime, we have changed the procurement code. This logically led us to initiate a reform of Treasury services and therefore to do an audit.

This reform concerns the major players in the chain of expenditure: budget, DGCRCP and Services Branch of the Treasury, including public accounting. The latter is being reorganized, and it is in this context that we launched the audit engagement to take stock of government liabilities.

How did you go?

This audit was structured in two parts. The first, launched in early 2013, focused on rotating holidays [celebration of Independence Day, held each year in a different city] the last ten years, that is to say the period 2002-2012. We presented the report to the authorities, and part was sent to the judiciary, which will initiate proceedings against the suspects malversations.Le second part of the audit, initiated in late 2013, involved directly instances of the Treasury. At the end of April, we submitted the report to the authorities.

To complete your mission, you have blocked payments due by the Treasury, which penalized the government suppliers. Some have argued that while the boxes were empty ... Why not have explained more clearly implied by the audit?

Precisely, we met with business, labor, SMEs and other traders to present their situation. We explained that the audit would identify the reasons for delays. Specifically, to understand why, when a manager asks the Treasury to pay the bill, that does not happen within a reasonable time. I told them that this year, we would work with that. So they were aware ... We need people to do good evidence foi.Nous are a technical branch, which is not designed to communicate with the press. We are doing exceptionally well. In this case, we did. Those who say otherwise and peddle rumors are those who doubted our willingness to do the housework.

More generally, how traders have reacted?

Before we begin the audit in December 2013, they clearly feel the need to initiate a reform to reduce waiting times for payments. Providers in the state have always criticized the Treasury administrative delays, lengthy procedures ... And we are aware that late payments generate financial costs to entreprises.Nous have heard and we are committed to from 2014 to shorten case processing, for they spend about a month in ten days. Regarding payment terms, we want to achieve pay bills at thirty days for operating expenses and sixty days for capital expenditures.

 What did you major faults identified in the financial system?

 I would note that in a few. The first came from the design of our budget. For years, we have put in our budget law project ideas that sometimes not based on any previous study. Therefore, in our forecasts, we align expenses that correspond to the amount of revenue we were completely unknown.

In most cases, these projects cost far more than expected in the field. That is why, from 2015, we will change everything for inclusion in the budget of the program components specific, rather than project ideas. The Gabon will be the second country in Central Africa after Cameroon, to put this system in place.

There is also another weakness, largely related to the previous one, since it stems from the way we develop the budget. As we approach the end of the fiscal year, most managers struggle to consume all of the lines of credit that have been allocated to them, knowing that they may lose the balance they would not used ...

Therefore follows a boom in terms of financial commitments, during which it tramples the rules. Take the example of a director who has a credit balance of 30 million CFA francs [45,735 euros] and decides to use it before the end of the current fiscal year to finance the construction of a room class. Needless to sign hastily into an agreement with a company and order payment before work has commenced in the school. Although this classroom is actually built later, it is certain that at the time of payment, the site has not been delivered ... and it should no longer be current.

This allows me to engage in a third flaw in the system, more generally. If governments sign an agreement with a trader and then, in the light of feasibility studies for example, the project is abandoned, how to get back if you have already ordered the public accountant to pay ? ... This approach, too, must be corrected.

 You say that now, the state will pay "that good expense." Your detractors ironically saying that you have not paid "as friends of power" ...
 And I tell them it is not. I received more than 400 traders, and, meanwhile, the Treasury sent us all the debts he had in his wallet. It emerged that he had directly to companies totaling about 135 billion CFA francs.

The DGCRCP then worked in full compliance with ethics and the law. We have set up a working committee. For over two months, its members have divided the field missions to check everything. Then we received the operators and, when there were vague or doubts, we've confronted by investigators. We had a transparent approach. This will now be the rule.



                                                                     Jeune Afrique 09/10/2014 at 19:08 By Georges Dougueli