adminallowances to buy their own amid reports that companies and individuals imported vehicles worth US$1 billion last year alone.
“The US$1 billion has been from the private sector and I find it criminal. We will use the budget as a fiscal tool to address the imbalance,” Minister Biti said.
On MPs’ vehicles, Minister Biti said Treasury was quantifying Government’s indebtedness to the legislators.
His remarks come in the wake of haggling between Treasury and MPs who were demanding single-cab vehicles to replace the double-cab trucks they received from Government.
Addressing journalists in Harare during the launch of the 2012 budget roll-out plan yesterday, Minister Biti said Government had already discharged its obligation to the legislators with respect to cars.
“Every MP has a motor vehicle. What we owe them are sitting allowances. We are quantifying their sitting allowances and we will pay them. If they want to use that money to buy additional vehicles it’s up to them,” he said.
Minister Biti said he was also working on a legal framework that would make the Constituency Development Fund permanent. He said the fund had helped improve lives of ordinary Zimbabweans despite allegations of abuse of the fund by some few MPs.
Online Reporter