State sector white elephants

WE have been made aware courtesy the anti-corruption commission's probe that the telegraph offices in the country, 450 of them, employing 3500 persons, have been spending much more than their allotted funds and so much more than what they earned annually. The ACC's recommendation that all the telegraph offices in the country be closed down merits consideration.
However, we have several comments to make in this regard. Firstly, why is it that one has to wait for the ACC's probe to determine the efficacy and value of a public sector service provider such as the erstwhile BTTB and its ancillary establishments? One would have expected that mechanisms within the government would have carried out the necessary evaluation of organizations such as the telegraph offices and ascertain the level of their performance and the need for their existence. While obsolescence is one factor, there is even more serious a concern, that of corruption which can never be allowed to go unpunished. The losses have been enhanced manifold because of the wanton misuse of public money in these establishments.
Secondly, may we ask why, in spite of the fact that internal audits are mandatory in all public offices, the cases of wasteful expenditures and corruption therein were not detected by the auditors? Or is it that there was collusion at all levels in misappropriating public fund? And this practice has been going on for more than a decade.
On the matter of winding up these offices, it goes without saying that the relevant authorities should have by now realised that the system has become obsolescent and nobody these days goes for the "mother serious come sharp" like telegrams anymore, with all the mobile telephone system and other technologies available in the country.
It would not be wrong to suggest that there are several such organisations in the public sector that have either become white elephants or outlived their utility. We suggest that the government set up a committee to review their status, and wrap these up if need be or bring in necessary reform to make them viable.
However, this step will of necessity cause a large number of people to be unemployed; but with a proper strategy, most of the redundant manpower can be absorbed in the public sector, preferably with reorientation and retraining. But some may have to be given the golden handshake and so be it -- after all, these offices cannot work as charitable institutions bleeding the national exchequer white and at the same time continue to be fleeced by dishonest and corrupt employees.