The Office of the President-elect has expressed concern that independent institutions are facing numerous challenges in conducting their work.
At a press conference, Spokesperson Mohamed Firuzul said the transitional committees have identified major issues in the management of independent institutions, the most significant being the lack of funding. He said it has led to projects planned for later in the year being cancelled due to budget constraints and challenges in conducting technical work, as well as difficulties in obtaining budgets for salaries and administrative expenses. He added that political influence is a major reason for the lack of funding.
Additionally, Spokesperson Firuzul said the lack of collaboration between institutions is a major challenge in getting their work done, which is caused by the lack of technical staff. He added that institutions are unable to hire professionals due to the low salary and the absence of a career path for employees.
Furthermore, Firuzul highlighted that some institutions are tasked with doing the same work, which has increased state expenditure. He also said that the lack of a working relationship between institutions has led to hindrances in conducting any collaborative work. He further said that many institutions have failed to implement their mandate, adding that the new administration will address these issues and reform the institutions. As such, he said the new administration will implement necessary legal reforms to increase the funding for the institutions. He also said that the government would be accountable, reducing the number of cases filed at the institutions.