NBR makes the right decision

No sooner did the public administration ministry kicked up a row over the purchase of luxury cars for ministers of the next elected government than a dilemma over imported duty-free luxury cars follows. This time, though, the disposal of 42 such special cars does not involve complexities. Imported by ministers and members of parliament (MPs) of the dissolved 12th assembly, the cars have been lying idle ever since their arrival at the Chittagong port. Those who imported the luxury vehicles taking advantage of duty-free facility fled the country. The National Board of Revenue (NBR) then put up 24 of those vehicles for open auction in order to sell those and earn Tk 1.75 billion in revenue. But there was no taker. Each vehicle cost Tk96.7 million but the NBR would have disposed those of if 60 per cent of the reserve value of Tk96.7 plus 25 per cent tax could be garnered from the open sale. Thus calculated the floor price would have come to 72.5 million for each one.

This incident exposes the undue provisions for outrageous privileges and perks members of the cabinet and the pliant bureaucrats enjoy. In a poor country like Bangladesh, the avarice of the power wielders knows no bound. They consider themselves the monarchs of the land and wasting public money on material possession and comfort hardly pricks their conscience. Since former autocrat HM Ershad had made the provision for duty-free import of cars for ministers and MPs in 1988, not only ministers but also members of both the ruling and opposition parties have taken advantage of it. Before election the opposition party/parties duly took a stand against this facility but on return to power or in opposition they conveniently forgot their promises. Instead of following a pro-people approach to public transport, they have always explored avenues to serve their coterie interests.

Now that the auction prices have been far too low and the NBR can in no way realise the expected tariff from the below par sale, the revenue authority has made a wise decision. It will hand 30 of the vehicles over to the government. What about the rest 12 has not been made clear. Their conditions are not likely to be any different and if all the vehicles are added to the government's transport pool, the overenthusiastic public administration ministry's move to purchase luxury cars should be stopped once and for all. The vehicles will be procured virtually at no cost of the exchequer.

Certainly the idea of preserving these expensive cars for use by the cabinet members of the next government is quite sobering. But the rationale behind this should not be a guiding principle for import of similar expensive cars. People in power must rein in their privileges and perks. Even the rich and elite class of society became quite used to flaunting their special status when they drove their luxury cars, blaring hooters. The privileged and powerful have failed to lose touch with the common people. If people in power do not go for a radical change in their mindset, the discrimination in society will continue to widen. Let the abuse of government pool's cars come to an end with the installation of the next elected government.