6 - MISUSE/ABUSE OF GOVERNMENT ASSETS
Passenger Vehicles
Government has a fleet of some 700 passenger motor vehicles, excluding those attached to the
Police Department, Fire Services Department, Prison Department and luxury cars allocated to
VIPs.
A number of Ministries and Departments have had passenger motor vehicles attached to them on
a permanent basis since their onset. Others were provided with this facility at a later stage. With
the passage of time, practically all Ministries and Departments have passenger motor vehicles
attached to them. The number of passenger motor vehicles has therefore increased over the years
leading to increase in expenditure on their operation and maintenance. Moreover, although
Government vehicles provide a convenience for employees, attitudinally Government officials
have increasingly considered this transportation facility as a perquisite, thus leading to some
extent of misuse.
Use of passenger vehicles
The services for which passenger motor vehicles are mostly used include the following:
Despatch of documents
Conveyance of officers attending committees/seminars/workshops
Conveyance of officers to residence after working overtime
Collection of stores
Conveyance of officers, going on overseas mission, to and from airport
Conveyance of overseas delegates
Controlling Officers
The Financial Management Manual (FMM) recommends the appointment of Controlling
Officers (commonly referred to as Transport Officers) to manage vehicles. Most Controlling
Officers who have been appointed are staff from the Executive and Clerical classes and even
include Leading Hands and General Workers.
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Observations
The Management Audit Bureau (MAB) Report of 2003 on ‘Use and Misuse of Government
Vehicles’ considered an annual mileage of 12,000 kilometres as indicative of normal use for a
passenger car.
For the present exercise, a sample of 130 passenger motor vehicles was examined. The average
mileage covered for the 12 months ending 30 June 2010 is shown in Table 6-1.
Table 6-1 Mileage Covered by Vehicles during 12 Months Ending 30 June 2010
Mileage Less than More than More than More than More than
3,000 kms 3,000 but 6,000 but 9,000 but 12,000 kms
less than less than less than
6,000 kms 9,000 kms 12,000 kms
Number of 15 5 11 9 90
Vehicles
Percentage 12 4 8 7 69
Cumulative 12 16 24 31 100
Percentage
Source: vehicle logbooks and monthly returns
31 percent of vehicles covered less than the normal use level of 12,000 kilometres. This includes
some 16 per cent covering less than 6,000 kilometres, representing 50 per cent of the normal use
level.
In several Ministries, top officials were using passenger motor vehicles for their private use from
the vehicles pools of their respective Ministries, despite the fact that they have already benefitted
from car schemes, duty concessions and travel grants for official and private use. This includes
their conveyance to and from their places of residence. It was also noted that many trips,
recorded in logbooks, did not receive prior sanctions of the Controlling Officers and, there was
no documentary evidence to support the official nature of these trips.
In many cases, it has been noted that officials who have benefitted from chauffeur driven car,
self-driven car and those receiving travel grants are using passenger cars attached to their
Ministries for attending meetings, workshops and even for private use.
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MISUSE/ABUSE OF GOVERNMENT ASSETS
In several cases, reasons stated in the logbooks for trips were as follows:
‘Despatch’
‘Duty Minister’, ‘Minister Duty’, ‘Duty for Minister’, ‘Despatch for Minister’
In these cases, the signature of the controlling officers was missing in log books. Consequently,
there was no documentary evidence to support whether these trips were duly authorised. Such
practice reflects window-dressing to cover trips for private use or trips by officers not entitled to
the use of the cars.
Transport facilities, in practice, are provided to officers who work beyond 1900 hours. However,
several cases were noted where officers were conveyed to their places of residence at 1730
hours.
The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development issued Circular letter no 13 of 2003
requesting the use of a standard ‘Request for Transport’ form by all Ministries and Departments
to prevent misuse of Government passenger vehicles. This form, if properly filled in, helps to
identify precisely the users, their eligibility, the official nature of the trips and the appropriate
authorisation. In cases of regular trips and those scheduled in advance, no transport request form
is used. In these cases, as a good practice, the Controlling Officers keep Appointment Books to
record these trips. Further, the FMM requires that all trips performed should be properly
recorded in the logbooks and forbids use of government motor vehicles for private use.
However, our review revealed:
many instances where the standard request form was not being used. Transportation was
provided to users who made requests verbally or by telephone or through letters. These types
of requests did not mention eligibility of the user, the official nature of the trip and prior
authorisation of head of section.
Controlling Officers, being officers of the General Services class are junior officers. This
provides an opportunity for the misuse and abuse by senior officers, who are not entitled to
the use of these cars, through exercising authority and pressure.
Conclusion
The present policy of having passenger vehicles attached to Ministries and Departments has led
to misuse as well as under-utilisation of vehicles. Government needs to review this policy in the
light of the comments made above. It is not the business of a Ministry/Department to provide for
transportation services. Consequently, it is suggested that Government should consider other
alternatives of obtaining transportation services in a more cost-effective manner.
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MISUSE/ABUSE OF GOVERNMENT ASSETS
Portable ICT Equipment
A laptop (notebook) is a personal computer for mobile use. It integrates most of the typical
components of a desktop computer. As such the use of laptop or notebook computers is
widespread and many people use them regularly as part of the work process.
With the introduction of computers in the public service, many high officials in the public sector
were provided with a desktop. With the public sector being more and more computerised,
practically all staff are provided with a desktop.
Since the past few years with:
the performance of laptops being as good as desktops
the advantage of being mobile
the price of laptops going down
Most computer users are opting for laptops.
However, from a survey carried out by the NAO, it was noted that most top officials as well as a
number of middle management officers in Ministries and Departments have been provided with
a laptop in addition to a desktop instead of a laptop in lieu of a desktop. In certain cases, the
desktop has been replaced by another laptop, thus these officers/officials have in their possession
two laptops permanently.
Given the mobility and practicality of use of a laptop it is not understood why after having a
laptop, an officer needs another laptop to perform his work. This I consider to be an abuse of
Government assets and of public funds.
There appears to be an increasing trend in the use of two laptops simultaneously. The
consequences of this trend are two–folds:
As the useful life of a laptop tends to shorten gradually, coming down to even three years, this
means that there will be more frequent replacement and hence, increase in the spending of
public fund.
The costs of laptops tend to be higher compared to desktops meaning increased future costs in
terms of both maintenance and replacement.
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MISUSE/ABUSE OF GOVERNMENT ASSETS