Acting Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga has ordered that no new vehicle purchase or lease will be allowed without the department or agency buying or leasing first identifying and starting the process to retire an existing vehicle.
The order came in a general memorandum dated yesterday titled New Motor Vehicle Acquisitions.
The acting governor said that the aim of the policy is to ensure there is no net growth in the size of the government vehicle fleet and to maintain cost control over fuel and maintenance expenses.
He also directed that beginning with the 2020 budget cycle, all executive branch agencies are to include vehicle fuel, oil and maintenance costs in their annual budget submissions.
The memo said that any exceptions to this policy may only be approved by the Office of the Governor. Such exceptions will be limited to special purpose vehicles such as may be acquired by the Department of Public Works or a semi-autonomous agency or to new federal programs providing services to the public not heretofore available.
Lemanu said supporting documentation is needed, including the grant award and Budget Office confirmation of the availability of funds.
In a report issued last year, the Office of the Inspector General Department of Interior said in a report that ASG did not have effective internal controls over the use of its vehicles.
The audit found that ASG’s vehicle records were inaccurate and incomplete, there was no comprehensive and government wide policy to regulate and monitor the use of government owned and leased vehicles and departments did not adhere to available guidance.
As a result, the fleet of government vehicles is subject to misuse, misappropriation, theft and other loss.
The Office of the Inspector General Department of Interior said in a report issued last year that ASG did not have effective internal controls over the use of its vehicles.
The audit found that ASG’s vehicle records were inaccurate and incomplete, there was no comprehensive and government wide policy to regulate and monitor the use of government owned and leased vehicles and departments did not adhere to available guidance.
As a result the fleet of government vehicles is subject to misuse, misappropriation, theft and other loss.
