DA welcomes ministerial review of car allowances and government excesses

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the statement made by Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane that "recognising the sensitivity of [government's exorbitant expenditure on luxury vehicles], Cabinet has established a ministerial task team to look at government spending in the context of the economic meltdown" (see statement).

This decision is a consequence of the Democratic Alliance raising this issue through parliamentary questions, setting a precedent in the Western Cape government (see here), and putting pressure on the ANC administration to do the same. In other words, it is a very powerful and unequivocal demonstration of the influence the Democratic Alliance has on South African politics.

It is also a positive consequence of the DA's fulfilling its oversight role, holding the government to account, and ensuring good governance and best democratic practice, the ultimate benefit of which, if the ministerial review recommends the appropriate action, is a direct benefit to the South African taxpayer who will save money. It will also make more money available for the delivery of basic services.

We welcome the decision to have a ministerial review. The DA has already taken concrete action in this regard in the Western Cape, by reducing the amount that might be spent on cars by an MEC to 50 percent of their annual salary, and by introducing an array of other austerity measures. If the ministerial task team is going to take this task seriously however, it needs to go further and look at:

• The cost of inauguration parties;
• Exorbitant budget vote functions;
• Excessive expenditure on hotels, travel and food and beverage by national departments;
• The cost of VIP protection;
• Advertising promoting the government or particular ministers;
• The unnecessary renting of accommodation; and
• A general culture of excess whereby basic necessities are often substituted by extravagant luxuries.

The nature of the recommendations that the Task Team makes on each of these issues, and the degree to which they are complied with by the ANC government, will be the ultimate measure of how successful this initiative is.

Statement issued by Anchen Dreyer MP, Democratic Alliance shadow minister of public service and administration, July 30 2009

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