As the public vehicle scandal continues, the Cabinet has made provisions to roll out a new government vehicular policy.
This is according to Cabinet Spokesperson Maurice Merchant.
He went into detail on some of the key areas of the new program which is expected to commence in the next two weeks.
“Key provisions of this policy include the establishment of an advisory committee to oversee vehicular allocations and usage, allocation of vehicles based on the duties of ministries and departments. Vehicles are to be used only for authorized government business and services. Passengers must be on official government business except in emergencies or with prior authorization,” Merchant said.
Vehicles exceeding five years of service will be disposed of by public auction. Those vehicles that were unauthorized purchases will also be sold by public auction as well.
“All vehicles must be parked at Ministry headquarters or designated locations upon completion of daily duties. In related matters, Cabinet agreed to relocate the Transport Board and all of its buses and vehicles from the government’s motor pool on Palmetto Drive to the Transport Board headquarters in Herberts,” Merchant explained.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has announced that one of the car dealerships implicated in the ongoing vehicle scandal has agreed to repay $10 million to the government.
Although PM Browne did not identify the company in his Facebook post, we are reliably informed that it is Harney Motors.
The company has reportedly entered into a restitution agreement following weeks of investigations into unauthorized duty-free vehicle transactions.
In a post shared to his official Facebook page early Thursday morning, Browne confirmed that restitution had been secured and that the government expected additional recoveries from another dealership currently under audit.
“One of the car dealers has agreed to pay back $10 million. The other is being audited, and we expect a few more millions,” Browne wrote. “This contrasts with the hundreds of millions stolen under the UPP administration with no prospect of recovery.”
Merchant further explained that discussions are underway with another dealership.
“The financial secretary will continue discussions with another car dealership with the intention of negotiating and settling the repayment of revenues lost by the government through these purchases and other irregularities,” Merchant added.
The repayment comes amid a widening investigation into one of the most high-profile corruption controversies in recent years.
The scandal, which has already triggered the resignation of Comptroller of Customs Raju Boddu and several departmental transfers, revolves around the alleged misuse of duty-free concessions and the improper sale and transfer of government vehicles.
The Prime Minister has repeatedly vowed to recover every cent of public funds lost in the scheme, emphasizing that his administration is committed to transparency and accountability.
While Harney Motors’ repayment marks a significant breakthrough in restitution efforts, questions remain about the full extent of the losses and whether additional government officials or private entities will face disciplinary or legal action.
The government has yet to release a detailed statement outlining the terms of the $10 million settlement or the expected timeline for additional recoveries.
Too late. They already bleed the country
hahahahahahaha Lets see how this works out
I’ll believe it’s helpful when I see clear results, not just headlines.
Finally, we’re seeing real movement on this issue. A $10 million repayment and a new vehicle policy are steps in the right direction. But transparency has to continue we need names, receipts, and clear consequences for everyone who abused the system.
Finally some accountability! Let’s hope this $10 million is just the start. Every cent that was lost must be recovered.
So vehicles will now be auctioned and monitored good move, but who will oversee the advisory committee? Same people who caused the mess
like the new policy. Government vehicles should not be used like personal taxis.
All talk until we see the full recovery. Past administrations stole hundreds of millions with no consequences.
Good to see the Cabinet putting new rules in place, but let’s be honest these measures should’ve existed long ago. The real test will be whether the rules are actually enforced this time or if we’ll be back here again in a few year
Browne’s post feels like spin. He keeps bringing up UPP instead of focusing on what’s happening now
Trus me…every time there’s a scandal, we hear promises of “new policies.” Let’s see if this one sticks. The Prime Minister is quick to compare with the UPP years, but the focus should be cleaning house now not deflecting blame.
At least the government is recovering funds but where is the accountability for the civil servants who facilitated these transactions?
It’s easy there’s a record of the car arriving, then there should be a record of recipient. Followed by the name of the person that it was assigned to and who assigned it. Unless the vehicle is invisible or doesn’t have numbers it should be easy to account for them. Treasury should have records of what they paid for and to whom. This is not rocket science.