The Finance Ministry has reportedly approved purchase of 280 luxury vehicles, including 60 jeeps for ministers of the next elected government at a total cost of Tk 444.84 crore - triggering arguments over cost-cutting rules and authority of the Interim Government in making such decision.
According to official source, the government will procure 60 Mitsubishi Pajero QX-2427 CC jeeps for ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers for the future elected cabinet.
Each vehicle is priced at Tk 1.69 crore, with a total cost of Tk 101.61 crore.In addition, another 220 new vehicles have been approved for the upcoming 13th national polls, including 195 Pajero jeeps (Tk 1.96 crore each) for Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) and 25 microbuses (Tk 52 lakh each) for Deputy Commissioners' offices. Total cost of these will be Tk 343.23 crore.
We, however, fail to understand the practicality behind the purchase of these luxury vehicles despite ongoing austerity measuresby the Interim Government on vehicle purchases this fiscal year.
And why it is deemed so important to procure luxury vehicles for a future elected government even before holding the national polls?
The public admin ministry, in a letter said government officials concern will play a key role during the upcoming elections in maintaining law and order, running mobile courts and carrying out other essential field-level election duties.
Moreover, the letter also mentioned that the government transport pool currently does not have adequate vehicles for use by ministers, state ministers, deputy ministers, or officials of equivalent rank in the next elected government.
Under such circumstances, a viable solution, we believe, would have been to float a government tender, select a contractor and hire the required vehicles for election time. As for purchase of luxury vehicles for the future government's elected ministers, state & deputy ministers - the decision should be left with the next government till it assumes office. Particularly, when we cannot predict the future.
The point here, it is not the responsibility of an Interim Government to decide and purchase what cars will be used by the next government. Such decision not only violates the circular on austerity measures, but also raises serious questions about legitimacy.
Though the public administration's letter also mentioned, vehicles currently used by advisers of the Interim Government were purchased in the 2015-16 fiscal year- and their lifespan has already exceeded by 9 years, frequently requiring costly and time-consuming repairs - we don't consider it as a strong logic with the upcoming polls to be held in about six months' time.
We draw urgent attention of the Interim Government to re-consider, re-evaluate its decision on vehicles purchase while resort to an austere, but a pragmatic option.
