They shared this with the parliamentary standing committee on transport, infrastructure and housing last week. The ban, introduced in 2020 by former president Hage Geingob as part of the government’s cost-cutting measures, restricts the purchase of vehicles for political office-bearers and other public officials. Minister of works and transport John Mutorwa yesterday clarified that the moratorium, set to expire next year, only prohibits the purchase of 4x4s and sedans by senior government officials, such as ministers and their deputies.
Mutorwa said the 2020 proclamation was intended to reduce transport expenditure and encourage officials to use existing vehicles from the Government Garage, which is managed by the Ministry of Works and Transport. However, despite the moratorium, the committee said the Ministry of Finance has told it the ban does not extend to vehicles essential for efficient government service delivery. In 2022, the government spent N$55 million on vehicles.
However, the planned expenditure for 2023/24 has surged to N$210 million, representing a 282% increase. Calls for the lifting of the ban comes two months after the government declared a state of emergency on drought, described by the state as the worst in 100 years. The Office of the Prime Minister projects that 1,4 million people are facing hunger.
Augustinus Tebele, the vice chairperson of the committee, said the ban is affecting service delivery and should be lifted. He said the committee’s recent .