Circular permitting the purchase of iPads and phones for ministers to be cancelled

Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) has informed Ministry of Finance to cancel the circular issued permitting the purchase of iPads and phones for ministers from the budgets of relevant ministries.

The statement by ACC which cancels the circular by Finance Ministry released on 30 April says that the Parliament is responsible for determining ministers’ salaries and privileges. The Parliament’s decisions on these matters should be implemented, instead of other institutions making such decisions on their own:

“The Parliament will determine salaries and privileges for the President, Vice President, Judges, cabinet, Parliament Members, Speaker of Parliament, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, and members of independent commissions. Ministry of Finance has been informed on 7 May 2012 that these decisions made by the Parliament should be practiced, instead of other institutions making such decisions on their own.”

The statement also says that Auditor General Niyaz Ibrahim is extremely critical of institutions determining their own privileges, and reiterated that no state institution should do this in the future.

A circular endorsed by Minister of Finance Abdullah Jihad and issued on 30 April 2012 allows the purchase of a mobile phone, a laptop or notebook computer, a tablet PC or iPad, and data system and data package if necessary, for ministers.

Also, a total of Rf4000 was assigned for a minister’s phone bill, and any exceeding amount should be paid from personal funds. If a minister uses roaming services while abroad, he should identify the official calls made and sign the bills, following which those bills will be reimbursed. The circular indicates that these items had not been purchased thus far because no proper policy had been specified to do so.