Africa-Press – Eswatini. Bucopho will now have vehicles valued at E300 000, available to them following the introduction of Finance Circular No. 2 of 2023. This circular was issued on August 8, 2023. Unlike in Finance Circular No. 2 of 2013, wherein bucopho were not accessible to a car allowance, this time around, they have been allocated car allowance valued at E60 000 per annum, which in the 60 months they serve shall be equivalent to E300 000. This tallies to E100.8 million in the five-year term for bucopho’s car allowance; given that per annum, the taxpayer will fund them with E20.16 million. This amount is derived from the fact that there are 336 chiefdoms, which form the 59 constituencies wherein politicians are elected. Each chiefdom has bucopho.
Service
Finance Circular No.2 of 2023, which looks into the terms and conditions of service for parliamentarians, designated office bearers and the attorney general for the 12th Parliament, is said to have been developed at a time, when the country is faced with a combination of domestic, regional and global challenges. However, the Mvuselelo Fakudze-led Royal Commission reported that due care had been taken to ensure that the remuneration framework, as developed, recognised that it was important to appoint into political office competent nationals, so that the country could benefit from their expertise in pursuit of its development and growth agenda.
Framework
The Royal Commission reported that the framework also recognised that a career in politics was a calling and privilege; therefore, while it was important to pay competitive salaries in recognition of their skills and competencies, it was equally important to balance this against what the country could afford. They reported that parliamentarians, designated office bearers and the attorney general (AG)would receive a range of benefits and allowances, which were not uniform, but had been developed considering their role, status, duties, functions and responsibilities. They stated that the proposed remuneration framework had also considered the affordability of the different levels of remuneration of the political office bearers and the AG. As such, they reported that a benchmarking exercise was undertaken to understand what obtained in the region, the civil service, parastatals and private sector companies. “The remuneration framework has been developed through a detailed review of applicable legislation, combined with an intensive data collection exercise, cooperation and input of all relevant stakeholders and consideration of constitutional provisions, with regard to the various offices,” they reported.
Mandate
Aligned to their mandate, the Royal Commission received submissions from bucopho and other office bearers during the 11th Parliament, wherein the issue of the car allowance was raised by the latter. Leading to the review of the circular dealing with remuneration and perks for politicians, for two terms, those occupying the office have lamented that they were foot soldiers of the Tinkhundla System of Government within their chiefdoms, yet they were not afforded transport. Their plea, in the past 10 years, was that just like the tindvuna tetinkhundla, they should be offered a car scheme so that they could procure vehicles to ease their travelling challenges, as they rendered service to their respective communities.
Vehicles
In the past two circulars, which have been reviewed to birth Finance Circular No. 2 of 2023, the politicians were not allocated motor vehicles and had to use their own resources for transport. The circular under motor vehicle advances states that the prime minister, deputy prime minister, presiding officers, ministers, attorney general, regional administrators, will be allocated official government vehicles by the State. It further states that all political office bearers qualify to participate in the guaranteed vehicle loan scheme, which the Government of Eswatini has with financial institutions. “The loan may not exceed the actual cost of the vehicle to be purchased. This provision also applies to political office bearers appointed to Cabinet, or as presiding officers or regional administrators. However, this latter category of political office bearers will not be entitled to a motor vehicle allowance to meet the running costs of their private motor vehicle,” reads in part the circular. It further states that the private vehicles of political office bearers may not be bought on a government contract or tender and must be negotiated directly with a dealership.
It states that government may negotiate discounted rates with vehicle manufacturers or dealerships on behalf of the political office bearers; however, it was the prerogative of the political office bearers to arrange and negotiate the financing of the motor vehicle. Furthermore, it stated that if political office bearers are offered discounts of more than 10 per cent by motor vehicle dealers or more than 15 per cent by vehicle manufacturers, the political office bearer shall declare the said discount in terms of the principles of the leadership code set out in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Eswatini. On the other hand, the circular states that political office bearers who have their own vehicles at the beginning of their term of office may choose to apply for an advance to refurbish their vehicles, instead of purchasing new vehicles on condition a car advance was not applied for until the current loan for car refurbishment had been fully paid.
The benchmark vehicles were said to have been identified from the current new vehicle selection available in southern Africa. “A motor vehicle allowance is intended to reimburse the parliamentarian, tindvuna tetinkhundla and bucopho for the capital outlay in respect of the acquisition of a private motor vehicle (including running, maintenance and insurance costs). The beneficiaries of this allowance are required to produce proof of ownership before claiming the allowance,” reads in part the circular. It is stated that where vehicles below the standard value were owned or acquired, the allowance shall be reduced to that allowance equivalent to the vehicle purchased. Also, the MPs, tindvuna tetinkhundla and bucopho in receipt of the re-imbursive car allowance will not be eligible to draw mileage allowance for any journeys within the boundaries of the Kingdom of Eswatini.
It states that for duly authorised official journeys outside Eswatini, such claimed mileage will be computed from the border posts to the destination and back, by the most direct route and the mileage claim will be E4.18 per kilometre. However, the prime minister, deputy prime minister, presiding officers, minister, attorney general, regional administrators, and deputy presiding officers, will not be eligible to draw this re-imbursive allowance.
Source: times
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