Govt hiding credit card use by departments

The Government is covering up how many credit cards government departments use and what the cost of them is, says National MP Simon Power.

Mr Power asked 26 Ministers how many credit cards Ministries, government departments and government agencies had and what the limit was on the cards.

“Only four Ministers fronted up with the figures while the other 22 gave the same reply that it was ‘impracticable’ to give a break down of credit card use. This is pitiful for a Government of ‘openness and transparency’, as it used to promote itself.

“If a handful of the biggest organisations around can respond then the others should be able to source the information. I would have thought it was in the interests of all Ministers to know the costs of credit cards within their departments and ministries.

The figures released show 331 Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff have credit cards, 211 of them issued to Wellington-based MFAT officers, 245 Ministry of Fisheries staff have credit cards, 79 credit cards issued to Customs staff, and 2 credit cards issued to Ministry of Health staff.

“The hand of Helen Clark’s office seems to be over the replies from all the Ministers who simply couldn’t front up with this public information,” Mr Power said.

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