(Lanka-e-News -17.Nov.2016, 9.20 AM) The decision taken by the government to provide jeeps to M.P.s who are extending support to the government has floundered on the rocks , and is in a state in which it cannot be propelled to fruition. Consequently , the government has not only come in for heavy flak , but the measures taken have also gone awry.
This proposal was made initially to provide vehicles to all MPs, in which case 129 vehicles would become necessary. In that event MPs like Weerawansa and Gammanpila the most rejected and abhorred of the lot too would become entitled to a vehicle each for no valid reason.. Hence , it was proposed that only the development project monitoring MPs be provided with vehicles, in which case the total number of 58 MPs including 50 UNP M.P.s, 4 SLFP M .P.s , and 4 MPs of the minority parties will become entitled to vehicles. This proposal was made on 6 th of June .
This was to be implemented by the parliamentary reforms and media ministry through the finance ministry. The vehicles were to be procured under a leasing scheme. Newspaper notices were made by the Cabinet tender bids Committee , and though 9 companies collected applications only the following companies made tender bids.
1. M/S Pasans Rent a Car and tours Co. (Pvt) Ltd
2. Join Venture of M/S Value Trade (Pvt) Ltd and M/S Toyozumi Power marketing GMBH , Germany.
The Cabinet tender Board rejected the two companies because those did not have the adequate experience and financial standing. Consequently , the Finance ministry and the parliamentary reforms committee were driven into a quandary, and efforts were made to find another alternative instead of the leasing scheme .
Meanwhile a payment of Rs. 200,000.00 monthly to the MPs hereinbefore mentioned was authorized until the vehicles are procured for them. Accordingly each M.P is getting an additional payment of Rs 200,000.00 monthly since April.
After the leasing scheme aforementioned foundered, based on a cabinet paper of 29 th September , it was proposed to obtain vehicles on monthly hire. The rental inclusive of tax per vehicle to be Rs. 700,000.00 per month. The fuel was to be supplied by the hiring company , and the period of the contract is to be 5 years.
The monthly mileage allowed per vehicle is 3000 kilometers .That means the cost per kilometer is more than Rs.250.00. Besides, the vehicle taken on rent will never become the property of the government or the M.P.
The strange and curious part of this drama is , only the two companies aforementioned making the tender bids .The earlier Cabinet tender committee does not become relevant because the present procurement does not concern purchase of vehicles , rather it now relates to vehicles procured on monthly rental basis. These vehicles on monthly rental have to be approved by the financial affairs committee under the P.M.
In a most dramatic turnabout ,shockingly this committee had given approval to take the 58 vehicles on lease terms at monthly rental of Rs. 700,000.00 per vehicle from Value Trade Pvt. Co. affiliated to Toyosumi power marketing Co. Germany which was earlier rejected as not having the adequate experience and financial standing .Perhaps Sakraya has magically gifted the rejected Co. with experience and financial ability.
The necessary funds are to be released by the general treasury to the ministry of parliamentary reforms and media , and the parliamentary reforms ministry will be signing this contract. Truly speaking , it is the secretary of the ministry who signs this contract would be rendering himself liable to be hauled up before the FCID ,and is likely to end up in jail, because this will incur grave loss to the government without any trace of doubt.
At the end of 5 years, a sum of Rs. 42 million would have been spent (wasted) on each jeep and none would be owning a jeep. However one thing is sure , the Value Trade Pvt. Co . affiliated to the Toyosumi Power marketing Co. Germany which was confirmed as not having the experience nor the financial standing earlier would be paid a whopping Rs. 2450 million ! to make it a company now with Financial means and also experience !!
The 58 MPs who are collecting Rs. 200,000.00 now since April have opposed this because this payment will be stopped after they get a vehicle .Thereafter they will not get a cent. The vehicle procured too cannot be owned by them. Neither can they sell them nor hire out. They cannot save any money on the fuel too, and since many of them are already having vehicles , they have to keep these vehicles idling at home. Consequently, these MPs are resisting this scheme.
The president whose attention has been drawn to this issue , has instructed this proposal to be tabled before the Cabinet fiscal committee to review it. He has also intimated to the Cabinet to take action in line with the Cabinet tender committee requirements to confirm the transparency. Accordingly , following an agreement reached via discussion between minister of parliamentary reforms Gayantha Karunatileke and minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake , a fresh cabinet paper will have to be tabled .
The Cabinet paper submitted to procure vehicles on rent and the letter tabled by the president to the cabinet are hereunder
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by (2016-11-17 04:32:22)
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I request the JVP to begin a poster campaign listing out the taxes introduced by this government affecting the common man and allowances, concessions and other privileges extended to government MP's wasting public funds.
-- by banana republic on 2016-11-18
