Government defends decision to splash out on new cars

THE GOVERNMENT yesterday defended its decision to splash out on a new fleet of top-of-the-range official cars, dismissing a Politisreport that it was “inexcusably” spending taxpayers money.

The front-page report, headlined “Multi-cylinder scandal of the Ministerial BMWs,” said that the government had undertaken an unnecessary expense, “while at the same time never ceasing to talk about moderation and the need to limit public spending.”

The report came after a Thursday Cabinet decision to replace a number of five-year old cars belonging to Ministers and other high-ranking government officials.

But in his statements to reports, government spokesman Costas Serezis said the government was in fact saving money by replacing the 17 older vehicles instead of maintaining them.

He added that, according to a Commerce Ministry report, the government would in fact be saving thousands of pounds by replacing the cars.

“The government will not only not be burdened with any additional amount but, because of lower prices, will have immediate financial profit,” Serezis said.

He said that the decision had been taken in the framework of current laws and that the purchase of the cars had been awarded to the lowest tender put forward by interested companies.

Serezis said that, apart from being five years old, the cars had already clocked up 200,000 kilometres each.

Referring to a Finance Ministry statement, Serezis said that once the old cars had been traded in at £9,500 each, the new cars – BMW 523s – would be purchased, duty free, for just £8,875 each.

He said tenders had fluctuated between £8,875 and £24,359.

Serezis said that shortly before he was appointed government spokesman, his own official car had been serviced for £629 and that only two days before he took up his position on March 26, the car went in for another service costing £747. The car was still experiencing problems, he said.

In response to reporters’ questions, Serezis said an investigation would be carried out to ascertain whether government officials used their appointed vehicles only for official use.

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