The Change Front political movement has unveiled its vehicle policy for the presidency and executive, highlighting the significant expenditure on vehicles for top government officials in The Gambia. According to a media release, the government allocates substantial funds for vehicles for the presidency and executive, while several public institutions lack sufficient vehicles to perform their duties effectively.
In The Gambia, each minister is allocated two vehicles, one for official use and another for family matters. However, other government officials, such as permanent secretaries and directors, are allocated only one vehicle each. The presidency, executive, and judiciary are provided with expensive vehicles for official purposes, with each minister driving a vehicle worth between 8-10 million dalasi.
The Change Front movement argues that this policy is not aligned with the country’s economic context, as The Gambia is a poor country. The movement believes that spending millions on vehicles for top government officials is a waste of resources, especially when public institutions lack sufficient vehicles to execute their functions.
To address this issue, a government under the Change Front would implement radical measures to reduce expenditure on vehicles for the presidency and executive. The movement proposes that each minister should be entitled to only one official vehicle, with no government official, including the president, being allocated a vehicle worth more than 2 million dalasi.
Additionally, the movement plans to eliminate the current policy of providing utility cars to ministers’ families. All vehicles allocated to ministers’ families would be confiscated and redistributed to public institutions that lack adequate vehicles. The Change Front also intends to sell expensive vehicles given to top government officials and replace them with cheaper ones, using the saved resources to implement government projects that enhance social development.
The proposed policy changes aim to promote a more efficient use of resources and reduce unnecessary expenditure. By reallocating vehicles to public institutions and implementing cost-saving measures, the Change Front movement hopes to enhance the overall effectiveness of the government and improve the delivery of public services. The movement’s vehicle policy is part of its broader efforts to promote transparency, accountability, and prudent management of public resources in The Gambia.
