Tyrone Reid, Enterprise Reporter

Harry Douglas, Junior Minister in the Ministry of Local Government, walking away from his assigned 2004 Toyota Prado outside of Gordon House on Thursday. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

An apparent love affair between government officials and gas-guzzling sports utility vehicles (SUVs) is costing the country millions of dollars to procure them and to buy petrol to keep them running.

Sunday Gleaner calculations based on documents obtained under the Access to Information (ATI) Act show no fewer than 120 SUVs on the books of 10 government ministries. Some are old now but others are spanking new. The high fuel consumption of these SUVs is compounded by the practice of drivers sitting or sleeping in the vehicles with the air condition running while they wait on their respective ministers.

Attempts to get the government's petrol bill from the Ministry of Finance failed after more than a month of telephone calls and emails. The Sunday Gleaner had initially sought the information from Manufacturers Credit and Information Services Limited, the company contracted by Government to supply advance cards to its ministries and agencies for the purchase of petrol and other such supplies. However, the company said that while the information is readily available, they needed approval from the Ministry of Finance to send it to the The Sunday Gleaner. But the ministry has not yet granted the permission.

Despite weeks of waiting, the ministry is also yet to answer questions regarding the Government's Comprehensive Motor Vehicle Policy including whether fuel efficiency is considered by government when purchasing a vehicle. However, Sunday Gleaner calculations based on figures submitted by 10 government ministries showed that more than $47.9 million was spent to purchase fuel for a 12-month period. The estimated national fuel import for 2006 was US$1.5 billion.

There seems to be no set rules governing the amount of petrol allotted to public officials. There are cases where the junior minister receives more money to purchase fuel than the minister.

Aloun Assamba, Minister of Tourism, Entertainment and Culture, is allotted $30,000 a month to gas up the 2006 Toyota Landcruiser assigned to her, while her security officers receive another $30,000 to fuel the 2002 Landcruiser assigned to them. Mrs. Assamba's ministry has made a request to the Finance Ministry for a $5,000 increase to the allotment to her security personnel. Wykeham McNeill, the minister of state, is allotted $25,000 a month. But, a request has been made to increase his allotment to $32,000.

Over in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Minister Anthony Hylton gets $25,000 per month to purchases petrol for his assigned 2006 Landcruiser while his junior minister, Delano Franklyn, is allocated $35,000 a month for the 2001 Mitsubishi Pajero he drives. The monthly allocations to the public officials for purchasing petrol is not necessarily exhausted in all cases.

An additional $44.8 million for the year was spent by five of the 10 ministries on maintenance of their vehicles. The Ministry of Transport, Housing, Water and Works spent the most in both categories with $24.9 million and $33.3 million on fuel and maintenance, respectively, for its fleet which includes 30 SUVs, in 2006.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Office of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Office were not included in the survey. The Ministry of Agriculture and Land was also included, however, the lateness of their response excluded them from the investigations.

Government's business

In general, the information provided showed that six ministers and seven state ministers are assigned SUVs. Ministers are not the only ones driving SUVs but also permanent secretaries, other officials and security personnel.

Of note is the fact that Finance Minister Dr. Omar Davies drives his own vehicle, according to Helen Rumbolt, director of documentation and information at the ministry. While Maxine Henry Wilson, Minister of Education does not drive an SUV, when she is about the Government's business, she rides in a 2006 3series BMW. Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller is still using the S80 Volvo bought for her in 2004 while she was Minister of Local Government.

National Security Minister Dr. Peter Phillips has two vehicles at his disposal. The transport manager at the Ministry of National Security, Wilbert Johnson, revealed that Dr. Phillips still has the 2003 Toyota Crown motor car bought for him while he was Minister of Transport and Works and a 2001 Toyota Landcruiser, which belongs to the Port Authority. Some time last year, when the latter vehicle broke down, a 2006 Landcruiser was bought and temporarily assigned to Dr. Phillips until the 2001 vehicle was up and running again. Now the newer vehicle is assigned to the ministry's executive division and used in cases of emergency such as transporting much-needed infor-mation to the minister when he is in Parliament or to pick up important visitors at the airport and to carry them around during their stay on the island.

Motor Vehicle Policy

Motor vehicle purchases within the government service is guided by its Comprehensive Motor Vehicle Policy, which says that "the general upper limit for motor vehicles purchased by the Government of Jamaica for assignment to public officials" should not exceed US$27,500 c.i.f. (cost, insurance and freight), which translates to a little over $1.8 million.

However, this does not include other local charges and the supplier's mark-up. As a result, some vehicles end up costing close to or more than a million dollars above the stipulated c.i.f.

Usually, the ministries, which only pay five per cent concession on motor vehicles, end up paying somewhere in the region of $2.5 million for a 2006 Toyota Landcruiser Prado.

However, according to the policy, the Minister of Finance and Planning reserves the right to give approval for the purchase of assigned vehicles above the general upper limit c.i.f. of US$27,500, where the minister deems it warranted. The policy failed to stipulate the grounds on which the minister could grant approval. Efforts to ascertain if Dr. Davies has invokedthis power during his more than 13 years as Finance Minister and on what grounds, were unsuccessful.

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com