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Govt opts for luxury

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-13 13:39

What type of vehicles should government officials use for public service? Should the privilege be bestowed upon officials based on their level of seniority?

The questions have surfaced again as BMW was listed as a provider for government vehicles.   

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The misuse of government cars has long been the focus of public complaints. And solutions to the problem have long been the center of public discussion.

In 2008, it was estimated that the number of cars for government use at all levels was around 4 million and the cost for their use should be around 300 billion yuan ($43 billion) a year.

The money governments at all levels spend on purchasing cars amounted to 80 billion yuan in 2008. Compared with 50 billion yuan in 2005, public expenditure for government vehicles has increased by 62 percent in the past three years.

The reasons the government gave for settling on BMW manufactured vehicles are "good quality, fuel efficiency and low emission, prices within the range of requirements set by relevant regulations and BMW's sound reputation for supporting education and environmental protection in China".

It is well known the brand's image has been hurt as a result of repeated reports of wealthy BMW owners knocking down pedestrians.

Besides, the BMW brand has always been associated with wealth.

True, BMW vehicles are known for its quality. As a report says, its quality may meet the need of the police department for special missions.

If that means all motor vehicles for police use will be replaced with BMWs, we wonder whether it is necessary to squander large sums of public money for government comfort. We also have reasons to question whether this brand of luxury cars will raise the work efficiency of our police force.

The sealing of 490,000 government vehicles, nearly 80 percent of them in the capital, during the Beijing summit of China-Africa Cooperation Forum in 2006 did not affect the normal operations of the municipal government. This is solid evidence that quite a large percentage of government vehicles are actually redundant.

Then why do we have to spend billions of yuan every year procuring vehicles for government use? This question must be answered because taxpayers deserve transparency.

We have cut purchase tax by a large margin to encourage people to buy such energy-efficient cars. Then why do we have different standards when it comes to purchasing cars for government use? Why can't government officials use cars with small engine capabilities?

Why does the government not opt for domestic manufacturers to provide cars for public service? If the government does not trust its own brands, how can it expect the public to have confidence in them?

The central government has reiterated the principle of frugality for government spending. Use of luxurious cars by government officials is not compatible with the principle.