Palace issues new
guidelines on purchase of gov't vehicles
Press Release
May
28, 2011
MALACAÑANG –
President Benigno Aquino III has delegated the authority to approve
the acquisition of government motor vehicles to Cabinet secretaries,
and to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for
purchases by local government units (LGUs), under a new set of
guidelines aimed at streamlining operations in the bureaucracy while
promoting public accountability.
Executive Secretary
Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. said on Saturday that the Chief Executive signed
Administrative Order No. 15 on
May 25, 2011 to transfer such authority from the Office of the
President (OP) to specific government agencies and to reiterate
existing policies on the prohibition on the acquisition of luxury
vehicles.
“Our objective here is
to delegate the authority to approve the requests for the purchase of
vehicles to the line agencies that are in a better position to
determine whether the requests to purchase vehicles are justified,”
Ochoa explained.
“In our 10 months
here, we have determined that there is a need to decentralize a lot of
procedures because so many papers need Malacañang approval even though
we may not be the best office to process these requests. For example,
we could not see the purpose behind requiring OP approval for
administrative matters like the purchase of vehicles by LGUs in the
provinces when there is an agency that is tasked to oversee LGU
concerns,” he added. According to Ochoa, AO 15 also directs all
government offices to immediately account for all their motor vehicle
units and draw up a disposal program for all luxury motor vehicles,
which they will submit to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM)
within six months.
Under the new
guidelines, the DBM has the authority to evaluate requests and
recommend acquisition of motor vehicles by departments and attached
agencies, including government-owned and –controlled corporations and
government financial institutions. The authority to approve the
requests rests with the heads of the concerned departments. LGUs
planning to acquire motor vehicles, on the other hand, must secure the
approval of the DILG instead of the Office of the President.
For "specific-purpose
vehicles” such as medical ambulances, military and police patrols and
fire trucks, road construction and cargo equipment, among others,
local executives may approve the purchase of these types of vehicles
if the funds come from their own funds. LGUs who intend to purchase
these types of vehicles using funds from the national government,
however, must secure approval from the DBM.
For motor vehicles of
other government offices and agencies not covered by the AO,
evaluation and recommendation will be done by the DBM and the approval
by the OP.
AO 15 amends AO 233
dated August 1, 2008, which governs the purchase and use of luxury
vehicles by government agencies for their operations. This was further
strengthened under Memorandum Order No. 9 issued in December 2010,
which prohibits the acquisition of high-end cars and sports utility
vehicles (SUVs).