The rot in Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Transport-Part Five

The Permanent Secretary informed the Committee that the Ministry realised the need for filing cabinets for safe keeping of used receipt books by CVR during the course of the year.In relation to scales that were lying idle, he indicated that use of the scales was postponed pending a tender process for disposal of old number plates.

The Committee was concerned that the Ministry’s budget formulation was poor, considering they should have anticipated the need for the equipment during the budget formulation. There is also poor planning because the equipment was just purchased without clear objectives and direction as to what they really wanted to achieve. On one hand they purchased equipment with a view to dispose of old number plates by way of shredding. Later on they realised that there was some aluminium in the old number plates and they realised the opportunity to dispose them through sale. The Ministry really needed to be reminded that they are dealing with public funds and there is need to ensure there is efficiency, economy and effectiveness in the use of public resources.

4.5.6.1       The Committee recommends that the Civil Service Commission should revisit the employment contract of the officials in the Ministry running the Fund and advice on their continued suitability by 31st December, 2017 in view of the glaring poor performance.

4.5.6.2 Treasury should by December, 2017, review the framework of the Fund, in view of the observations noted.

4.5.7 Purchased Vehicles under the Fund converted to personal issue vehicles to directors, 2013

The Audit observed that the Fund sought and was granted authority to purchase three vehicles valued at $128 179.  However, the vehicles were later issued as personal vehicles  to the Directors at the Ministry’s Head Office and $33 894 was spent on putting on extras, such as radios, sport lights and bull bars.  Subsequently, the Ministry sought authority from Public Service Commission to convert the vehicles to personal issue vehicles and such authority had not been granted at the time of the audit.

The Permanent Secretary indicated that the vehicles were meant to be pool vehicles for CVR. However, there were three directors that had no personal issue vehicles, hence they were issued to directors. He claimed that the Ministry got Treasury and PSC approval to allocate the vehicles to the Directors. The Committee noted with concern that there is a clear violation of the Constitution of the Fund and there seems to be no consequences for such violations. The Accounting Officer actually defended use of the Fund to meet expenditure ordinarily funded through appropriated funds. In fact the Fund has proved to be an additional budgetary source for the Ministry.

4.5.7.1       The Committee recommends that the Ministry should, by 31st August 2017, submit to Parliament approvals from Treasury and the CSC for its decision in issuing Fund vehicles to Directors in the Ministry.

4.5.7.2       Treasury should, by 30th September 2017, submit to Parliament a justification for continued retention of funds by the Ministry under this Fund, in view of these violations and other uses which the Funds are being put to.

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