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| Ministries and localities have been told not to buy cars this year unless otherwise dictated by a comprehensive review of the number of State-owned cars. — Photo infonet.vn |
HÀ NỘI — Ministries and localities have been told not to buy cars this year unless otherwise dictated by a comprehensive review of the number of State-owned cars.
Deputy Minister of Finance Nguyễn Hữu Chí, who issued the order, said it was aimed to tighten public spending and improve the effectiveness of using public property. Instead of buying additional cars, ministries and localities should pay a travel allowance to officials who were previously eligible to use State-owned cars or to rent cars, he said.
Chí also ordered the ministries and localities not to use money from Official Development Assistance and preferential and commercial loans to buy State-owned cars.
Management boards of foreign-aid projects that want to buy cars are required to submit a detailed plan to the finance ministry for approval, he said.
Hà Nội pilots travel allowance
As of March 1, Hà Nội is the first locality in the country with a pilot programme of travel allowances to officials of the departments of transport, finance, planning and investment, labour, invalid and social affairs, as well as State-agencies in the districts of Hà Đông, Long Biên, Thanh Trì and Gia Lâm.
The maximal travel allowance is VNĐ9.3 million (US$407) a month.
Mai Xuân Vinh, head of the Finance Department’s Public Property Management Office, said redundant State-owned cars at the agencies would be handed over to the city administration, which would allocate them to other State-agencies lacking State-owned cars. Schools and hospitals were among those on the priority list.
Data from the city’s Finance Department showed the city has about 400 State-owned cars, with the cost to run a car about VNĐ223 million ($9,750) each year.
The programme is expected to save the capital budget VNĐ50 billion ($2.2 million) a year. The city plans to introduce the programme at all State-agencies by October. — VNS
