A former Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Bede Ziedeng, has called for the scrapping of the policy where public office holders and senior public servants purchase their salon cars that are two years old when leaving office.
He said the policy was discriminatory, inequitable, a waste of national resources which had outlived its usefulness and purpose, and enabled the beneficiaries to dupe the state.
Mr Ziedeng, who is the General Secretary of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), was speaking to the Daily Graphic about the recent furore about the sale of salon cars to former ministers and other functionaries.
“It is wasteful to the state because government is forced to use scarce state resources to purchase new salon cars that are two years older anytime there was a change of government or a senior civil or public servant retires,” he said.
He explained that the policy was introduced from the 1980s into the 1990s, particularly during the transition from military rule to the Fourth Republic.
At its introduction, he said, salaries were generally low and very few public and civil servants could afford to purchase such means of transport.
Secondly, Mr Ziedeng noted that during those periods, there were few vehicle companies and garages selling expensive cars which were beyond the reach of the senior public and civil servants.
“With this it was understandable to make the offer to top public and civil servants, first as a compensation package for serving the nation with dedication and commitment and yet they could not come by any form of transportation when leaving office as result of low salaries. This was a golden handshake offer,” he said.
When asked why he described the policy as discriminatory and inequitable, Mr Ziedeng said it benefited only those who were using salon cars at the time of leaving office.
“Even among the political elite, district chief executives are left out by virtue of the fact that they do not use salon cars. Also public and civil servants who may be of the same grade but are using cross country vehicles will not benefit when leaving office,” Mr Ziedeng said.
He said because the cars were normally eligible for sale only after two years of use, those public office holders who took delivery of such salon cars parked and preserved them and hardly used them for official purposes.
He said those who used the salon cars also used state resources to refit such cars when they were about to leave office so that the cars would be in good shape when they would be buying them at ridiculously low prices.
Mr Ziedeng argued that unlike in the 1990s,the current economic situation was better, salaries of public office holders had appreciated and it was now easier for them to arrange to purchase their own salon vehicles whether in office or when they were out.
“Credit facilities are now uncountable from almost all the commercial banks and vehicle companies as well as garages, therefore the government should rather arrange for such functionaries and public and civil servants to purchase salon vehicles of their choice just as Members of Parliament (MPs) do,” he suggested.
He also said this would ensure that the cars purchased by the government for official purposes to be used properly for a longer period and when they become old, then the government could auction them to the highest bidder.
Mr Ziedeng added that the policy had the propensity of breeding acrimony and discontent among public office holders who used salon cars and those who used only cross country vehicles.
He said another acrimonious situation arose when there was a change of government, where former ministers would be chased by the new administration for taking cars away, which in the long run undermined the self esteem of politicians.
He said if the policy was maintained it would undermine the integrity of politicians and erode the confidence the electorate have in them.
“The net effect is the destruction of the reputation of the political elite who will be regarded as self-seekers who make no sacrifices at all but are interested in looting the state coffers,” he stressed.
He concluded that this was the best time to abolish the policy because after all the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had enjoyed it for eight years and so had the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
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