The Bhutanese Leading the way.
A 21st May 2024 press release by the National Assembly (NA) said that one of the motions expected during the upcoming NA session is ‘Inconsistency between the practice and the intent of the Pay Structure Reform Act 2022.’
Hidden behind the innocuous title is growing resentment among new NA MPs who feel that while the Act took away their ‘Prado Quota’ in 2022 with the assurance of rationalizing government vehicles into a common pool, the Government Secretaries and other senior officials still have designated vehicles with rationalization not having taken place more than a year after passing the Act.
They want to discuss the matter and seek a way forward.
The Prado Quota is worth millions if one buys a Prado and its going market rate was around Nu 1.5 mn, a tidy sum for MPs.
It all started back in 2022 when the Pay Structure Reform Act 2022 not only restructured the pay of the entire civil service into a Clean Wage but it also did away with vehicle quotas for both civil servants and MPs.
Not happy with the bill taking away their Prado quota the NA inserted a designated 2,800 cc duty vehicle for MPs equivalent to Secretaries (Toyota Fortuner) in the Pay Structure Reform Bill.
In return, they gave up their claim to the Nu 1 mn to buy vehicles and the Nu 10,000 allowance for drivers and another Nu 10,000 allowance for fuel and maintenance.
After a public backlash, the NC added an option in the Bill of the government either giving a duty vehicle or a lump sum amount to buy a vehicle with and the Nu 10,000 allowance for drivers and Nu 10,000 for fuel. The NA passed this option along with the entire Bill.
The final Act under section 61 says, ‘The designated duty vehicle shall be maintained at existing level to position level EX3 and above including Members of Parliament until reviewed and rationalized by the Government’.
Section 62 says, ‘Each Member of Parliament shall be provided a designated duty vehicle or a one-time lump sum grant for the purchase of vehicle along with the Driver, and Fuel and Maintenance Allowances.’
The MPs defined the designated vehicle to be a 2,800 cc vehicle like Secretaries which is essentially a Toyota Fortuner SUV.
The new MPs are picking on the word ‘until reviewed and rationalized by the Government’ asking why rationalization has not happened and the hidden argument also is that since Government Secretaries still have their designated vehicles, what about MPs who they feel are equivalent too or even outrank Secretaries.
On the other hand, there is a feeling among some officials that the MPs are unnecessarily comparing with senior bureaucrats and getting petty to ensure they get designated cars or an inflated lump sum amount which is currently Nu 1 mn per MP.
In relation to this it has been learnt that the National Assembly has sent two letters to the Ministry of Finance on inconsistencies in the implementation of the Pay Structure Reform Act 2022 with the main point being MPs designated vehicles and the lump sum.
An official, on the condition of anonymity, said, the MPs are essentially making noise for their designated cars even though the last Parliament had removed vehicle quotas and instead said they would be eligible for designated vehicle or a lump sum amount. The amount though not mentioned in the bill was Nu 1 mn.
The official said MPs are now claiming equivalency to government secretaries and saying there is inconsistency in the Pay Structure Reform Act with the designated car still being there for secretaries.
The official said when the new NC came they also raised an issue but the Finance Ministry wrote to them and the NC accepted the Nu 1 mn lump sum.
The NA, however, has refused to accept the explanation of the Finance Ministry so far and are essentially fighting for the designated vehicle for MPs despite the economic situation according to the official.
The NA House Committee is the main one pushing the issue sending their letters via the Speaker.
The official said the vehicle rationalization is still there and this arrangement would continue until rationalization.
The letter written to the MPs in reply says no new cars were issued to executives and only the existing ones are being used. It was also explained that drivers cannot be removed just now since they are in the lower rung of the economic ladder and rationalization must be done carefully and planned carefully.
However, it is not only MPs that are unhappy with the MoF as its tight control in the past have led to the numbers of vehicles being reduced and with such heavy control many ministries and sectors are not happy.
Currently new government cars are only for service oriented sectors like the police and for specialised purposes.
The House Committee is taking up the issue as unlike other committees, this committee deals with the matters related to the Members of the National Assembly and consists of a Member each from the National Assembly Committees and representatives from the opposition party.
It represents all members of the National Assembly and reports their administration problems to the Secretariat and looks into the problems and welfare of the Members of the National Assembly.
It also considers all logistics issues of the Members of the National Assembly among other functions.
The House Committee Chairman and Deputy Speaker Sangay Khandu said it is not only about the designated vehicles of MPs but it is about rationalisation of the government transport system.
“As MPs, what we are trying to say is that there are some discrepancies in the enforcement part of the Pay Structure Reform Act. They are supposed to rationalise all the vehicles but it is more than a year since the Act and rationalization has not happened. The intent of the Act was to do away with BG vehicles but this is not done,” said Sangay Khandu.
He said the 2022 Pay Structure Reform Act provided MPs with a 2,800-cc designated vehicle or lump sum and though the amount is not mentioned Nu 1 mn was given. He said the Lump sum amount is not a big issue but why has the government not been able to rationalize the whole thing and without doing it there is inconsistency.
He said the other inconsistency is that people accompanying ministers and minister ranks get only 20% DSA when food and lodging is given and on top of that the communication allowance is cut. He said officials accompanying ministers also have to make calls and recharge from their own pocket.
He said they sleep in class rooms and Gewog centers and so there is no motivation and no incentive though they do many things for the country.
An official said the MPs are speaking from the point of their Research Assistants who are as good as their PAs.
Sangay Khandu also said the 2022 Pay Structure Reform Act has also not repealed others Acts which it should do clause by clause. He said they heard the 2022 Pay Structure Reform Act is superseded by the 2023 MoF notification announcing the pay act which is being looked into and here he said the rule of law must be followed.
The Chairman said they have received information from many agencies and the committee will come out with its findings.
“We are seeking clarification because the Pay Structure Reform Act is very confusing as it says MPs will get the 2800 cc car until rationalization and at the same time it’s not rationalized. We are willing to forego everything if there is rationalization for all.”
He said they are not fighting for entitlements but the Pay Structure Reform Act needs to have clarity.
He said there is no finger pointing but the onus is on the house to move ahead comparing the economic situation of 2022 and 2024 and what will be the next step.
“There must be a way forward and we have not heard from the government side. The committee and then the plenary will decide. Once an Act is put in place then one cannot opt to practice it or not. Should we force agencies to follow whether they like it or not or should we sit together, debate, deliberate and then change it,” added the Chairman.
Sangay Khandu said they will also be revising the NA Act to have a more effective functioning of the Nation’s highest decision-making body as times have changed.
