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Wanka blows €260m on education consultants

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Wanka blows €260m on education consultants
Photo: DPA

The government has spent nearly €100 million on consultants and external contractors since 2009, it emerged on Tuesday. The ministry for education has come under fire for spending nearly half of this.

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According to a request for information submitted to the government by the left-wing Linke party, the Christian Democrat (CDU) – Free Democrats (FDP) government has paid €969 million for external services over the past four years.

The Linke criticized the Ministry for Education, led by minister Johanna Wanka since February this year. Since February it has spent €260 million on external consultants, Der Spiegel news magazine said.

That was three times more than the entire outgoings on external contractors and consultants in 2011 and 2012, and four times more than second-place spender the economics ministry, which has paid out €115 since 2009.

The environment ministry came in third place, spending around €82 million. The transport ministry came in fourth, with €71 million.

“Minister Wanka should explain this particular approach to last minute panic as quickly as possible,” Linke Bundestag member Babara Höll told the magazine.

In the corridors of the German government, the ministry is also facing criticism for having too much money and not enough competency, Der Spiegel said.

A spokesperson for the ministry of education blamed the spending rise on renegotiating contracts which had been taking place since 2010. Of the €260 million spent since February €160 million was earmarked for these projects.

The Local/jcw

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