Use of Government Vehicles in Ministries, 2023–2024

·        Administrative and structural malfunction threatens public funds!

·        Episode No. 20

·        I reaffirm my view as a follower of the reports of the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB): that state building is not achieved through formulaic, formal data or promises of implementation that lead to the same observations being repeated in the Bureau’s new reports, but rather by holding those who are negligent accountable, and activating true central oversight over all units of public work to ensure integrity, transparency and protection of public funds!

·        The State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB) is the only official body that remained in society to monitor public work and the uses of public funds, with the message "making a difference in the life of the citizen"! ..so that this citizen can be reassured that the course of public work proceeds in accordance with the regulations and laws that govern it! The function of oversight units is extremely important to make the course of public work safe and free from favoritism and turning a blind eye!

·        In light of the reports of the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau (SAACB), which audited the use of government vehicles in the civil sector in several ministries and responsibility centers for the years 2023 and 2024, and the substantive observations they contained regarding violations of the regulations and laws and the provisions governing responsibility centers and public bodies, the first manifestations of negligence and administrative blame were attributed to the weak performance of some public oversight units embedded in every corner of public work, in departments, ministries and public bodies!

·        It is clear that there is a general laxity in some of these units, and negligence and failure to carry out their responsibilities and duties, and an administrative oversight or deliberate overlooking, which led to public work moving away from transparency and resulted in these administrative reproaches!

·        I list below the substantive observations in the aforementioned audit report:

·        Misuse of government vehicles

1-     Government vehicles were used by employees in ministries and public institutions who were not entitled to use them under the System for Operation of Government Vehicles in the Civil Sector.

2-     There is no compliance with overnight parking of some government vehicles at the premises of ministries, public institutions or their designated sites!

3-     It was observed that government vehicles were used by some employees in ministries and public institutions outside official working hours!

4-     Daily logs for the movement and overnight parking of government vehicles were not maintained on a daily basis in some ministries and public institutions, which prevents tracking the movement of these vehicles.

·        Poor effectiveness of oversight on vehicle use

5-     The General Directorate of Government Transport in the Ministry of Transport and Communications did not perform its duties defined in the system adequately to ensure control over the use of government vehicles, due to it not being provided with the authority to access the electronic tracking system for vehicle movement belonging to ministries and public institutions!

6-     Periodic reports were not prepared by some internal oversight units in ministries and public institutions regarding the use of government vehicles and their follow-up at all..!

7-     Some ministries did not comply with the recommendations of internal oversight units’ reports that had been prepared regarding government vehicles!

·        Financial and administrative violations in the use of vehicles

8-     Government vehicles are used by employees in some ministries and public institutions while those employees simultaneously receive a fixed transportation allowance as part of their salaries.

9-     Government vehicles were handed over to judges contrary to the provisions of Article 32 of the Judicial Authority Law of 2002!

10-            The operating costs of government vehicles (fuel, maintenance/insurance) exceed the fixed transportation allowances of employees who are allocated vehicles, which means that granting government vehicles to categories of employees not stipulated in the System for Operation of Government Vehicles in the Civil Sector is an additional cost that burdens the treasury with extra amounts!

·        Violation of Cabinet Decision No. 10 of 2017 on the System for Operation of Government Vehicles for the Civil Sector

11-            Movement logs for some government vehicles in some ministries and public institutions were not maintained, despite the existence of fuel (petrol) refueling records for the same period, which indicates their use for purposes other than those intended and points to insufficient control and follow-up procedures!

12-            The Bureau was not provided with all data and information from the vehicle tracking unit in some ministries, which does not give reasonable assurance about the completeness of the tracking unit’s data in those ministries!

13-            Tracking units for government vehicles were not installed in some ministries, contrary to the provisions of Article (10) of Cabinet Decision No. 10 of 2017 on the System for Operation of Government Vehicles for the Civil Sector, which provides for monitoring all government vehicles and strengthening oversight and inspection of them. It is also contrary to the circular issued by the Secretariat-General of the Council of Ministers dated 21-6-2020, which stipulates "the necessity of installing an electronic loop and a tracking device for government vehicles in order to ensure that government vehicles are used for their designated purposes and to reduce expenditures!, which could affect the role of oversight bodies in following up and supervising these vehicles and their use for purposes other than those intended!..

14-            The movement logs of some government vehicles in some ministries are inaccurate, as it was found that there is no match between the distances traveled recorded in the vehicle movement logs and what was read from the tracking unit report for these vehicles, which does not give reasonable assurance about the correctness of these logs!

15-            The overnight parking of some operational vehicles outside the locations designated for them within the government department, contrary to the provisions of Article 9 of the Regulation on the Use of Operational Vehicles, Clause 3/d of Cabinet Decision No. 10 of 2017 on the System for Operation of Government Vehicles for the Civil Sector, which stipulates that some operational vehicles should be parked after official working hours in the yards and places designated for them within the government department..!

16-            Civilian license plates were granted to some government vehicles (operational vehicles) instead of the designated red plates! Contrary to the provisions of Article 5 of Clause 2 of Cabinet Decision No. 10 of 2017.!

17-            More than one operational vehicle is used in the offices of some ministers, contrary to the provisions of Article 9 of Decision No. 10 of 2017 on the System for Operation of Government Vehicles for the Civil Sector!

·        Weak coordination between government entities

18-            There is no match between vehicle records shown by some ministries and the records of the General Directorate of Government Transport in the Ministry of Transport and Communications, which is responsible for assigning custody of government vehicles to ministries and properly following them up!