Public Sector Governance Office Report: CNT, a poorly managed public service
The National Transport Company is currently facing an unprecedented governance and efficiency crisis. The Public Sector Governance Office, tasked with analyzing the company, reports on a public enterprise that is adrift. With ten years without audited financial statements, a fragmented IT system, ignored internal audits, and risky purchasing practices, the company's public service mission is severely compromised.
This organizational review follows the previous government's decision in March 2023 to establish a Steering Committee within the Ministry of Land Transport to oversee the restructuring of the National Transport Company and ensure corrective measures are implemented. The report was submitted to the Cabinet on November 14, 2025.
Internal Organization
The Public Sector Governance Office (OPSG) begins with a harsh observation: the National Transport Company (CNT) has operated for several years with an incomplete and unbalanced management structure. According to the report, "most key positions remain vacant within the organization," a situation that directly affects the company's performance and service quality.
Among the unfilled strategic roles: Deputy General Manager (DGM), Chief Engineer, Mechanical Engineer/Senior Mechanical Engineer, Procurement and Supply Manager, Administrative Manager, and Corporate Secretary.
In other words, several operational and administrative "brains" of the CNT are missing, even as the company undergoes a restructuring process and manages an essential public service.
Internal Makeshift Solutions
In light of these vacancies, the CNT has slipped into a logic of "makeshift solutions," with some executives taking on multiple roles. The report notes that employees are assigned "multiple roles and responsibilities," in return for allowances for responsibilities or acting roles.
Two examples illustrate this organizational drift:
- The IT Manager also serves as Officer-in-Charge of the Procurement section.
- One of the Regional Managers holds three different roles.
The OPSG summarizes this situation with a sharp phrase: "there is no right person in the right place." It notes that these managerial makeshifts are not neutral; they are deemed "detrimental to the company's performance" and impact operational efficiency as well as service quality.
New Structure
To overcome this impasse, the OPSG recommends a redesign of the organizational chart, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. The report suggests establishing a structure that includes two distinct Deputy General Manager (DGM) positions:
- One DGM in charge of administrative and support functions (finance, human resources, administration, etc.),
- One DGM responsible for the technical and operational aspects of the Corporation (operations, maintenance, fleet, etc.).
These positions would be contractual and performance-based, with renewal conditioned on satisfactory results. The idea is to create a robust intermediate management layer capable of supporting the General Manager and preventing files from getting lost in the current organizational gaps.
Energy Transition
The OPSG also links the organizational reform to changes in the public transport sector, notably the introduction of electric buses and the need to better position the CNT in terms of image and user relations.
Two Major Recommendations:
- Creation of an "Electric Vehicle Engineer" position. With the commissioning of electric buses, the CNT must rely on dedicated expertise: managing new propulsion technologies, monitoring performance, specific maintenance, safety, and infrastructure adaptation.
- Establishment of a Marketing/Advertising unit. The report proposes the creation of a new unit responsible for marketing and advertising, led by a Marketing Executive. This unit would aim to:
- Develop marketing strategies and plans,
- Conduct market studies,
- Better highlight the CNT’s services and its new offerings (advertising screens in buses, positioning the CNT as a modern public service, etc.).
Major Projects
Finally, the report anticipates a significant renewal of the bus fleet, involving the modernization of several depots and even the relocation of one, requiring substantial investments. In this context, the OPSG recommends setting up a dedicated "Project Steering Committee" at the Board level to oversee major projects.
This committee would have the main missions to:
- Prioritize projects according to their strategic importance and potential impact,
- Mediate the allocation of financial and human resources,
- Ensure systematic monitoring of project progress.
Engineering
The Engineering section, central to the CNT's operations, currently lacks a solid leader. The report reveals a problematic situation: the Chief Engineer position has been vacant for three years, with frequent changes in leadership disrupting its functioning.
According to the OPSG, the CNT is struggling to recruit a qualified candidate for this strategic role due to unattractive salary conditions considering the required skills and level of responsibility.
The report thus recommends introducing salary flexibility based on the future holder's experience. "The salary should be negotiable based on qualifications and years of experience in a similar position." The OPSG even suggests the possibility of hiring a Chief Engineer (Mechanical) from India, where some of the newly acquired buses originate.