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Ministers stifle pruning of personal staff perks
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A Cabinet Paper seeking to withdraw the vehicle facilities provided to ministerial and deputy ministerial staff has been withdrawn on the vehement protest by ministers, the Daily Mirror learns.A circular issued by Public Administration and Home Affairs Secretary P.B. Abeykone on June 14 to ministry secretaries, provincial secretaries and heads of departments has pointed out that only the private secretary of a minister is entitled to a government vehicle.
Circular 16/2014 states that private secretaries of deputy ministers, coordinating secretaries, public relations officers and coordinating secretaries of ministry secretaries are not entitled for official vehicles.
It states that Senior Superintendents of Police (SSP) Superintendents of Police (SP) and Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASP) were also not entitled to such vehicles.
Those who are entitled for official vehicles according to the circular are public officials such as the presidential secretary, department heads, district secretaries, divisional secretaries, the Chief Justice, deputy commissioners, Attorney General to assistant Legal Draftsman, officers above the rank of Brigadier in the Sri Lanka Army, Commodore and above in the Sri Lanka Navy and Air Commodore and above in the Sri Lanka Air force.
“In regard to the health sector; officials from the director general to directors of health, provincial directors, specialist JMOs and doctors who have completed six years of uninterrupted service in the permanent service are entitled to official vehicles,” the circular states and at provincial level; official vehicles are provided to Provincial Chief Secretaries and Municipal Commissioners.
All these officials are also entitled to a vehicle permit worth between US$25,000 and US$30,000 at the time of their retirement. The purchaser of the vehicle will have to pay the VAT, Ports and Airports Levy and the NBT equal to 45% of the CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight).
According to the circular, members of the personal staff of ministers and deputy ministers are not entitled to vehicle permits and they can use an official vehicle only during their term of office and is required to hand over the vehicle to the relevant ministry on retirement. (Sandun A. Jayasekera)
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