Govt. grants monthly allowance to State officials for using pvt. vehicles for official purposes

With 5, 533 State-owned vehicles not in running condition, the government has granted a monthly allowance to 8,500 senior officials in State institutions for using their private vehicles for official purposes.

Procuring of new vehicles for ministers and State officials has been suspended due to the government-imposed restrictions on vehicle imports since last year and under its expenditure management policy.

According to the Finance Ministry, State agencies had 82,194 motor vehicles in their fleet, out of which 76,661 vehicles were in running condition. Out of the vehicles under running condition, there were 33,931 vehicles under the ownership of the central government, 26,395 vehicles under State enterprises and 16,335 under provincial councils and local government bodies.

Further, 36,583 vehicles including 2,748 SUVs, 2,914 cars, 3,422 double cabs, 1,626 vans, 3,301 dual purpose- single cabs have been in use for 10 years while the year of registration of 10, 838 vehicles had been not reported.
In 2020, the government spent Rs.3.4 billion for maintenance of this vehicle fleet and Rs.4.4 billion has been spent on renovations and improvements of the fleet. In the same year, the government incurred Rs.24.4 billion on acquisition of new vehicles.

The Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved a proposal presented by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as Minister of Economic Policies and Plan Implementation to utilise the repairable vehicles out of those not under running condition and to discard those irreparable subject to a formal methodology with immediate effect.
The Cabinet Co-Spokesperson and Minister of Mass Media Dullas  Alahapperuma yesterday said the vehicles that cannot be repaired would be handed over to technical institutes. 

The Cabinet of Ministers under the previous regime back in 2018 has also approved a similar proposal.