The Coalition for Integrity and Accountability - AMAN held, at its headquarters in the city of Ramallah, a discussion session on the report “The Reality of Government Vehicle File Management,” which aims to provide practical recommendations that contribute to adopting measures to ensure strengthening the system of integrity, transparency and accountability in the management of vehicles. Public affairs and money and rationalizing government expenditures.

The session was opened by Jihad Harb, the principal researcher at the AMAN Coalition, who pointed out that the report under discussion aims to reduce government expenditures as much as possible, in a way that supports the budget, given the difficult financial circumstances that the Palestinian National Authority is going through, especially with regard to the issue of salaries, and in line with the austerity plan. adopted by the government.

Harb pointed out that the report aims to examine the extent of compliance with procedures and regulations in the process of managing the file of government vehicles or government transport, both civil and security, in order to come up with practical recommendations that help decision-makers in strengthening the integrity and anti-corruption system in government vehicle management. Emphasizing that there is a tangible development in terms of legislation related to the management of the government vehicle file, which is represented by the existence of a system for the operation of government vehicles for the civil sector.

Move towards taking over the maintenance of security vehicles

For his part, Assistant Chairman of the Supply and Equipment Authority, Brigadier General Haitham Saad Al-Din, said that the Authority, in its attempt to save on vehicle maintenance expenses, prepared a feasibility study, including a random sample of ten security agencies and bodies, and in light of it, there is a tendency for the Supply and Equipment Authority to take over the vehicle maintenance process to rationalize Maintenance expenses.

Saad El-Din added that there are instructions from the Prime Minister to the head of the Supply and Equipment Authority, Major General Saeed Al-Najjar, on the necessity of replacing the fleet of security vehicles and modernizing them, according to professional standards, based on axes; Needs, specifications, maintenance and sustainability of the fleet.

Al-Shuaibi stresses the need to create rational management for vehicle management

For his part, Aman’s anti-corruption board advisor, Dr. Azmi Al-Shuaibi stressed the need to rationalize the management of vehicles, which takes up a significant share of the general budget, in light of the budget deficit that has been ongoing for years, and the need to save on government expenditures that have increased, and are reflected in the payment of employee salaries, and are being solved at the expense of raising taxes and raising prices. At the same time, he warned that the financial crisis may extend for years to come, and the only way out of it, if government expenditures are not reduced, may be to search for external support that will have political and national costs.

The Director of Military Finance Oversight, Brigadier General Osama Abu Sultan, explained that insurance for vehicles belonging to the security services is not carried out through bids, but rather at a fixed price, and distributed in equal proportions among all insurance companies. The same applies to fuel. Pointing out at the same time that there has been difficulty recently in contracting with fuel companies, due to the government’s delay in paying purchases.

Recommendations to reduce expenses

Source: Maan News Agency