Africa-Press – Lesotho. The Cabinet office which is under the Prime Minister’s Office has promised to effect payments for hospitality establishments that were used as quarantine
facilities for COVID-19 patients. This “commitment” was made before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday in the National Assembly by the Principal Secretary (PS) for Cabinet
Economic Affairs, Kabelo Lehora. The PS said the payments will be processed from November 5 to 20. This comes after a long outcry from the lodging facilities operators over the accommodation and feeding of the
Coronavirus patients that were housed in their establishments. The President of Lesotho Hotels and Hospitality Association (LHHA) ‘Marethabile Sekhiba told the
Committee that they had “exhausted all avenues” in their quest to have the government settle its outstanding debt. “We have heard endless promises but
nothing has been forthcoming,” she charged. Sekhiba pointed that they have had an audience with the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers of Finance and Health and Government Secretary over their payments.
The LHHA President said their businesses are on the brink of collapse, adding that they do not know what to say to their employees. For his part, LHHA
Secretary Tumeliso Mokhethi said when they were issued the contracts, it was stated that the payments will be effected within seven days but it has been
months without the government picking their tab. Asked what took so long to settle the debts, Lehora said the Ministry of Health (MoH) decided to work in isolation, a move which he said posed a challenge for the logistics at
the then National Emergency Command Center (NECC) to process such payments as the funds are at Disaster Management Authority (DMA). He further attributed the
delay to invoices that had queries and had to be returned to the suppliers. Lehora further said the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) had ordered them to
freeze the payments while conducting investigations on tender issuance processes. The PS stated that through the October 6 correspondence, the DCEO had issued the “clearance” to process the payments.
According to the National Assembly Standing Order No. 97. (5), the PAC is empowered to “consider the financial statements and accounts of all government ministries and
departments, executive organs of state, courts, authorities and commissions established by the Constitution and of each one of the two Houses of Parliament.
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