Thursday, March 28, 2024

Government officials will no longer be entitled to personal to holder vehicles

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Secretary to the Treasury Felix Nkulukusa has said that government officials will no longer be entitled to personal to holder vehicles.

The Secretary to the Treasury said this when he appeared before the committee on parastatal bodies which is chaired by Zambezi east Member of Parliament Brian Kambita.

Mr. Nkulukusa has stated that ministers and other senior government officials will only be entitled to one utility vehicle each and in the event that the official vehicle goes to the garage, they will have to use pool vehicles.

Mr. Nkulukusa stated that going forward, the rest of the cars will be used as pool vehicles this is in an effort to do away with issues of spending colossal sums of money on expensive vehicles when companies are making losses.

Mr. Nkulukusa added that government will now be strict on the use of government number plates as no government official will be allowed to put a government number plate on a private vehicle.

The secretary to the Treasury stated that the secretary to cabinet will soon issue a circular on the use of vehicles and number plates for government vehicles.

Mr. Nkulukusa further said that permanent secretaries, ministers, and senior government officials like him will no longer sit on boards of Parastatal bodies to enable them to provide uncompromised oversight.

Mr. Nkulukusa’s statement was in response to a question by Mr Kambita and Luena Member of Parliament (MP) Mubita Anakoka who inquired on the appointment of permanent secretaries on boards, adding that Government will ensure that qualified people are appointed on boards.

Meanwhile, Mr. Nkulukusa has announced that government plans to use debt swap initiatives to deal with loans sitting at the Development Bank of Zambia involving some of the Government suppliers.

He states that the Development Bank of Zambia failed to perform because of political interference while some institutions have not been paying back loans.

Mr. Nkulukusa was responding to a question on why the country should continue with the DBZ while it has proved to be underperforming and insolvent.

22 COMMENTS

  1. THIS IS THE BEST NEWS COMING FROM THIS GOVERNMENT
    ATLAST SANITY WILL PREVAIL
    GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SHOULD REALISE THEY THERE TO SERVE THE COUNTRY AND NOT THEIR PRIVATE INTERESTS

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  2. I have seen that goverment officials in my district do not drive GRZ vehicles but are just driven by goverment drivers. Like the Chief Medical Officer in Kitwe I always see him being driven. So this is not new Mr Nkusa.

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  3. Felix must tread carefully especially on matters of employment. He’s a Presidential appointee that assumed office without known conditions of service nor interview. There are others that are employed with specified terms and conditions so you can’t arbitrary take away their entitlements without negotiations. GRZ will face multiple litigations soon. Further, most of the people serving in government are superstitious, that includes Bally who has refused to use whatever ECL used to the extent of even resisting to shift to the President’s Official Residence. How many Ministers will accept to use pool vehicles whose safety they don’t know? You’ll see when most fail to make it to KKIA to see Vasco da Gama off because they have no transport. Can you acquaint yourself with the changes…

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  4. I think Mr. Nkusa does not know what he is talking about . Felix Mutati tried it when he was at Works and Supply. It failed. Govt workers are employees and have conditions of service. We do not join civil service just to serve the people. We join to earn a living for our families first. So we deserve better condiotions of service. Please Mr. Nkusa …Do not start treating us like kids……PLEASE!

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  5. These are weak people always generating negative energy. This isn’t new policy!!! President Sata made directives on use of government vehicles: The only civil servant entitled to personal -to-holder automobile is the PS. In fact Felix Mutati implemented the directive well when he served President Lungu.

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  6. Now we know why Bowman laughed at the Kaunda era ministers because they were men and women of principals. You wonder why everyone wants to be in politics in Zambia. This is just a tip of the iceberg.

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  7. Deja Vu you are dull, that’s what we mean when we say that the money is leaving Lusaka. Boma spends billions just to maintain its vehicles in Lusaka alone. Your District in Kitwe will benefit from this, don’t ask me how.

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  8. Upnd are just a childish bunch. There has never been a personal to holder car in govt. We live in a country where mobility by car is crucial for those in service delivery roles. This will backfire.

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  9. Listen to people who will be affected by the cut, they are the same people who are abusing government property…..kikiki Ba mambala. No more moving building sand with government vehicles.

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  10. Good! Let them improve infrastructure. Vehicles should be used for government functions. Let them use their own transport means to get to/from work like everybody else.

    Now, if they could also stop the motorcades and the waiting receptions at the airport, that would be point on. Let this new government concentrate on putting this country in order.

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  11. AYATOLLAH you are dead right on this one, what will happen to Doctors on call when there is an emergency at the Hospital? ARE THE SERVICE CHIEFS, THE CHIEF JUSTICE, SPEAKER and other strategic defence and security personnel who work incognito with government personal to holder vehicles going to work without?
    If indeed personal to holder is a condition of service I can only speculate that those affected will demand for allowances in LIEU. Then where is the saving?

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  12. We the CEO’s of Zambia plc do not have any issues with providing transport for our workers from the President to his ministers, however when the workers start abusing this privilege then it’s only right and proper to remove it so that they can get creative in implementing a clean, safe and efficient transport system in the country. Light rail systems can be cost effective in the movement of our people in towns and cities. If we started investing in such infrastructure, we could attract electrical engineering companies who could start adding value to our copper before loading it up as raw material. This is a good move and we commend the house for passing this message.

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  13. #12 CONCERNED CITIZEN, the policy of 2012 made those vehicles on drive to own basis. MCS abolished most allowances and put a flat allowance added to emoluments to cover fuel and maintenance. Officers from Director will go with their vehicles as part of their separation package. Besides, the Secretary to the Treasury doesn’t manage the civil service. He should concentrate his efforts on his portfolio. He must keep his lane.

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  14. A Bemba akuti mwala fifubanya! Iwe Nkulukusa, there are contracts and conditions of service. Just making a declaration is not a very smart move. Iwe nkoya ku ma citeci and start doing the right thing. You cannot just take things away without due process … owe! Ukuti we shall be told by Cabinet Secretary bati? OK. We shall wait …

  15. Iwe ka Spaka im here and im happy with this move…. It is a step in the right direction of removing all Luxury SUVs from govt. Luxury SUVs serve absolutely no purpose except to inflate egos of govt officers. I sang this song about doing away with them during PF and ill cobtinue to sing this song regardless of who is in power. However im happy with this. And Spaka dont start saying this or that FYI I made it public years before the August elections that I had rallied with UPND and abondoned PF, I voted UPND and pedicted they would win but should UPND follow the same suite as PF they too will be discarded but so far so good, they are performing well.

  16. Government officials. If anybody understands who a government official is then they will understand the topic under discussion.

  17. #8 Ngombe do you always find it necessary to use derogatory? You must be dull beyond zero. The policy has been in place all along. Don’t argue if you don’t have points. I don’t understand why a simple identification of your Upnd’s mistake should unravel you into uncontrollable tantrums.

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