What govt wastage costs the country

CAPTION: Government officials use public vehicles for personal gain despite the Public Service standing order to park  them at office at 5pm. Clockwise: A government vehicle parked in Kansanga suburb at 8.30pm on March 24. Another carrying matooke and charcoal bags o  n Ndeeba-Nateete road on April 12; carrying plywood on Nakasero Market road on April 18; loading firewood at Kitigoma on Jinja highway on April 22; parked at  a video library in Kabalagala on March 24.

In the standardisation of vehicles manual issued by the Ministry of Public Service, government officers are supposed to have vehicles as specified in the standard manual. For example, a prime minister is supposed to have a vehicle with an engine capacity of 3500cc, ministers, ministers of state and permanent secretaries are supposed to drive 2800cc vehicles, while directors and senior consultants are supposed to have executive mid-range station wagons of 2500cc. The lower ranks are supposed to have double cabin pick-ups of 2500cc.

Sadly, the rules have been completely flouted and most government officers now drive vehicles way above the stipulated standard. Most ministers and permanent secretaries drive 4500cc Toyota Land Cruiser VX or Nissan Patrol and the same applies to directors and senior consultants. Most of these vehicles have the engine capacity far above the 3000cc stipulated in the standard manual.

‘You see it’s hard to enforce adherence to these standards across all the government departments. We feel that should be the work of the accounting officers in the respective ministries,’ said Ms Ojara.

In an attempt to satisfy their unquenchable desire for opulence, some government officials are pushing that the standardisation of vehicles for ministers and other government officers and project officers be revised upwards such that government can buy them much bigger and probably fancier vehicles.

The report questions why the government continues to buy many vehicles that are more expensive to buy and maintain than is strictly necessary or fit for the purpose. A vehicle with a large engine (3000-4000cc and above) and four-wheel-drive (4WD) capability may be necessary for driving off road or on specially bad murram roads, but are otherwise unnecessary and cost about 10 to 30 percent more to purchase than their two-wheel-drive (2WD) equivalents.

Additionally, the running costs of a 4WD are significantly higher than the 2WD due to their higher fuel consumption.

The report notes, ‘the biggest abuser of the Standing Instructions is the ministry of Health, considering engines in the range of 3000-4000cc alone.

Next, there is the issue of the use of the vehicle. Standing orders again determine, in theory, who should use any given vehicle, where and when. They provide that at all times government vehicles should be used for official duty only.

It also provides for police to inspect vehicles for road worthiness, purpose and authority for the journey.

The standing order stipulates that all government cars should be parked and secured after working hour’s i.e. 8am ‘ 5pm. Where a vehicle is required for official use outside working hours and on weekends, accounting officers should grant authority in writing for specific period and ensure that the authority is not misused.

It also emphasises that a fuel register should be kept by the transport officer for each ministry who should reconcile the fuel consumed from the ‘smart cards’ from the suppliers at filling stations.  Besides, all vehicles that are on duty upcountry are supposed to have a movement order only valid if it has been issued by the permanent secretary of the respective ministry. Equally, the Uganda Police is supposed to impound government cars that are seen upcountry but do not have the movement order.

None of these provisions of the standing orders is followed.

Instead, the government vehicles can be seen parked at bars, hotels and other social places long past 5pm, or are seen on highways carrying personal cargo like matooke, charcoal, etc on any day of the week.

Then of course is the issue of who should drive or is entitled to a government car?

Government vehicles are either attached to entitled officers, who are to have  chauffer-driven government vehicles at all times, or are ‘pooled’ and attached to departments by either an administrative head, line ministry, or donors in the case of local governments. While these vehicles would ideally be allocated to staff according to need, often seniority is a bigger determinant.

According to the findings of the study, there are 650 vehicles for those who are entitled officers, at a total cost (including duties and tax) of about Shs 53 billion, approximately Shs 81 million per vehicle. These entitled officers include the president and vice president, the three deputy prime ministers, 68 ministers, 47 judges, 29 permanent secretaries, 44 senior consultants, 34 directors, 39 deputy directors, 83 consultants, 99 heads of department, and 204 political officers.

The biggest challenge, according to an official in the Ministry of Public Service who preferred anonymity, is that some government officials tend to personalise these vehicles even when they are not supposed to have them.

Indeed once in possession of the vehicle, whether entitled or not, there are little or no checks to ensure the privilege is not abused, the study reveals.

On a departmental basis, accounting reports show how much was spent on fuel and maintenance, but there were no reports on individual drivers or vehicles. Only the Ministry of Public Service sends the required quarterly fleet condition reports to the Ministry of Works and Transport, and annual vehicle inspections are not completed by any department.

Moreover, records have not been found documenting transport costs per vehicle or per kilometre of road driven. This means that unauthorised trips using government vehicles are commonplace, especially when users transport their family, friends or constituents at social functions such as funerals, weddings, or even taking children to school.

How other governments manage public vehicles

All told, Uganda spends about Shs 30 billion ($15 million) on fuel for government vehicles per year, Shs 28 billion ($14 million) on maintenance, and Shs 18 billion ($9 million) on new vehicles per year, with a grand total of 8,090 vehicles bouncing around Uganda’s (often potholed) roads at a cost of Shs 76 billion ($38 million).

Britain: By contrast, the United Kingdom, which is 60 times richer than Uganda in GDP terms, has a fleet of only 193 vehicles ‘ 123 allocated cars and drivers to ministers and senior officials, and 70 short-term hired vehicles by government departments. Scotland has a fleet of 141 vehicles, both owned and contract hires, whose fuel in 2006 cost £185,000 (about Shs 592m) and maintenance cost £178,000 (Shs 569m).

Rwanda: In December 2004, realising  the high cost of government vehicles, Rwanda sold off all 4WD vehicles with a capacity of over 2000cc. It impounded 250 vehicles in total leaving government bodies and ministries with less than 10 vehicles each. In case of need for additional motor vehicles, the government of Rwanda identified travel agencies to hire out their vehicles with drivers to the government department. The travel agencies maintain these vehicles. Only five government officials are now entitled to a government vehicle ‘ the President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of Parliament, the Senate Speaker and the head of the Supreme Court ‘ and, of course, the vehicle must be under 2000cc. Other high ranking government officials are given loans to purchase vehicles and are given a fixed allowance for maintenance, on a sliding scale of seniority. For any official up-country travel, the government will hire vehicles on a case-by-case basis.

Tanzania: Each government ministry has a specific number of vehicles it maintains. Their maintenance is government responsibility with mechanics, engineers and drivers on government payroll. In the event there is need for additional vehicles, private transport companies are approached and the ministry, parastatal concerned is invoiced for services provided. All government vehicles are parked at government office at 5pm until 6am the following day.

At the beginning of each financial year, government presents to Parliament a budget for the purchase of new vehicles. All government entities declare the old fleet to their various accounting officers. A number of these old vehicles are then auctioned and replaced to maintain the government’s fixed fleet size. Senior government officials and other employees of government are given a chance to purchase these vehicles but have a restriction on the number of cars each can buy.

Kenya: The system is relatively the same as in Tanzania. However, if a government vehicle is used for official duty after 6pm, its driver is under instructions to report his/her whereabouts every hour. All government vehicles are fitted with car tracking devices and radio calls. Each government organisation has in place a special communications office to coordinate the movement of its vehicles.

On very rare occasions does the government of Kenya hire vehicles from private companies, and this is usually in extra-ordinary circumstances like when a big number of foreign dignitaries visit the country.