GOVT RETURNS RENTED MINISTERS’ FORTUNERS
MBABANE – Government is returning the 12 rented Toyota Forturners for ministers back to the dealership they were leased from.
The sport utility vehicles (SUVs) were rented through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. This was done on November 3, 2018 leading to the swearing-in of Cabinet ministers. The vehicles were rented from Woodford Car Hire in Mbabane and were first publicly seen during the swearing in ceremony for the legislators held at the Cabinet offices at Hospital Hill.
Minister of Public Works and Transport Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe, confirmed that government would be returning the cars to the dealer. He said his ministry was working on returning all the leased vehicles to relieve government from what has been termed ‘exorbitant’ expenditure by social commentators.
The minister said the strategy was to fix government cars that would be used to chauffeur the ministers.
Discount
On a daily rate, without discount, the vehicles cost E4 900; however, given that they were rented in bulk for a longer period, their daily rate was discounted to E3 000.
To this, the minister said: “We are working around the clock to fix vehicles within the central pool so that they may be given to the ministers who were using the Toyota Fortuners.”
Despite not being specific on the time frame anticipated for the return of the rented cars, Chief Ndlaluhlaza said his ministry was treating the issue with the urgency it deserved given the daily rate and the current fiscal challenges.
He said there were no initial plans to rent the SUVs but after an inventory of the government fleet was done, it was established that out of the 611 vehicles purchased in 2013 at about E400 million, only six were in a good status to be used by the politicians. These are six Chevrolet Trailblazers, which retail at about E450 000 apiece. When the 611 fleet was procured, among them there were 32 Chevrolet Trailblazers. They were also used by the politicians of the 10th Parliament.
On the other hand, the Toyota Fortuner vehicles were anticipated to be with government for a period not less than three months. This is because Finance Circular No.2 of 2013 prescribed that ministers and presiding officers should be afforded SUVs benchmarked at E800 000 to use while engaging in government business.
However, in April 2018, His Majesty King Mswati III appointed the Royal Commission to review the remuneration and perks awarded to politicians. Currently, the commission is still at work reviewing Finance Circular No.2 of 2013 to formulate what should be paid and awarded to the 11th Parliament legislators.
The term of office for the commission was extended to January 31, 2019 and, therefore, leaving the politicians with no instrument to pay and allocate them perks. This, by default, according to Government Press Secretary Percy Simelane, made the circular used by the 10th Parliament to be in force pending the finalisation of the new circular.
While waiting for the circular by the Phil Mnisi-led Royal Commission to guide the Ministry of Finance on the perks and remuneration structure for the politicians, government is currently spending E36 000 per day for the vehicles.
Noting the date they were leased, for the month of November 2018, government will pay E1 008 000. This is because they will be with government for 28 days in this month if the alternative cars being prepared are not ready by the close of business next week Thursday.
This amount can finance the purchase of two SUVs of the same model. This follows that according to a sales agent in one of the car dealerships in the capital city, a 2.4 Diesel Toyota Fortuner retails at about E486 000 and after discount it costs E460 000.
Comments (0 posted):