The Ministry of Works and Transport has defended its vehicle records following an audit finding involving 53 government vehicles valued at N$35.5 million, saying the vehicles were recorded in a different register and were not missing.
In a media statement issued on Friday, the ministry says the vehicles were permanently allocated to various offices, ministries and agencies and therefore appeared in the permanent allocation vehicle register rather than the government garage pool vehicle register.
The clarification follows a statement issued by the Independent Patriots for Change, raising concerns about the vehicles’ absence from the pool register and the availability of supporting documentation.
“The absence of the vehicles from the pool register should not be interpreted as evidence that they were missing or unrecorded, as permanently allocated vehicles are not required to appear in that register,” the statement reads.
Of the 53 vehicles, only six were procured by the ministry, while the remainder were acquired by other government institutions the ministry says.
The ministry says vehicle issuing and receipt vouchers are available to support its position.
It also confirms that 106 vehicles were permanently assigned to the Office of the Judiciary before being transferred from the government garage register to enable the institution to manage its own fleet.
The ministry further says treasury approval for the donation of vehicle GRN 5007 is available.
Despite defending its records, the ministry acknowledges the importance of accurate record-keeping, regular reconciliations and compliance with treasury requirements.
It pledges to strengthen vehicle administration and calls for constructive engagement with the auditor general’s office to resolve factual discrepancies before audit findings are finalised.
The post Works ministry defends N$35.5m vehicle audit appeared first on The Namibian.