President Rodrigo Duterte. INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered a centralized system of buying government motor vehicles.
Duterte signed Administrative Order No. 14 on December 10 “consolidating and rationalizing” the rules on the acquisition of government motor vehicles.
The President said, “There is a need to further streamline and rationalize the approval process for requests to acquire government motor vehicles, in keeping with the principles of economy, efficiency, and checks and balances.”
He said a “centralized procurement system is appropriate and consistent with the objective of the government to adopt economies of scale in its operations by purchasing from legally, technically and financially capable sources in economic lot sizes, by observing cost-efficient specifications and by making prompt payment.”
“The National Government hereby adopts a policy of procuring in the most efficient and economic manner, motor vehicles that are cost effective, fuel-efficient and environment-friendly, and at par with improvements and developments in the automotive industry and the relevant technology,” he said.
Duterte’s order reiterated the prohibition on the acquisition of luxury vehicles by all government agencies except vehicles used for security purposes, vehicles donated in kind to the government, vehicles used for visiting foreign dignitaries and vehicles acquired using funds from existing official development assistance programs.
The President has authorized the Department of Budget and Management to approve requests on the acquisition of motor vehicles.
The request for the acquisition of motor vehicles shall be for exercise of executive functions, transport of personnel, equipment , supplies, products, and materials, transport of sick and injured persons, patrol operations, and firefighting operations.
The President also “encouraged” all government offices “to dedicate a percentage of their vehicular requirements to the purchase of motor vehicles using alternative fuel types such as biofuels, flexi-fuel, natural gas, and solar and electric power.
Duterte earlier lamented the lack of proper maintenance of government vehicles, saying it was costing the government money. /cbb
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