Fund sought for buying 25 cars for ministers

The ministry of establishment has proposed for procurement of some 25 luxury cars for ministers and advisers though there is no allocation for the same in the current budget. Finance Minister AMA Muhith has raised question about the reason for buying the cars since the government had bought some 50 cars in 2009 for the ministers and advisers. Mr Muhith last week asked the ministry of establishment to justify the reasons for buying the new cars. The establishment ministry, in its letter to the ministry of finance (MoF) did not make it clear why they would need to procure over two dozens of cars at this time. The ministry of establishment has also requested the MoF to raise allocation for each car to Tk 4.5 million from the existing Tk 2.4 million since 'no good car can be bought within the limit of the existing budgetary allocation'. Twenty five cars will cost the government Tk 112.50 million if the allocation is raised. A MoF top official said 'we don't see any reason of buying such a good number of new cars at the end of the . fiscal year'. "If the minister approves the purchase of the cars at this stage, we will have to arrange fund from the budget's block allocation." According to the remuneration and privilege act of the government, each of ministers, state ministers, deputy ministers and advisers gets a car. They can each get another car from the government's central transport pool. An establishment ministry official said many ministers and other functionaries enjoying the equivalent status, have to use more than one government cars. They frequently take cars from government departments and offices under their ministries. Even some private secretaries and politically-appointed assistant private secretaries of the ministers also use cars taking from different government departments and offices, he added. Cars are mainly provided by government- and donor-funded development projects.