Minister of State Joseph Harmon has denied the allocation of over $100 million for the acquisition of bulletproof vehicles for the Ministry of the Presidency. It was reported that the monies were allocated in the 2018 Budget and it seeks to cover up the purchase, which occurred in 2016.
According to the parliamentary Opposition, the Government allegedly purchased five new bulletproof vehicles despite there being no budgetary allocation made therefor in 2017. Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Juan Edghill told a media conference on Thursday that this move is in clear breach of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act.
“The Government compromised itself with a supplier by taking an advance in vehicles and trying to find monies in 2018 to pay for that (transaction),” he opined.
However, Harmon denied the claims by Edghill in the National Assembly on Friday. “Such a statement is erroneous and misleading and true to the fact, the following is what really transpired. At no time since this Government came into office was the Ministry allocated $100 million for the purchase of vehicles,” he said.
“The Ministry of the Presidency inherited an aged fleet of vehicles from the former Administration, including those used in its presidential fleet. We said that on more than one occasion; the VIP car or cars used in the President’s fleet and in the Prime Minister’s fleet developed mechanical problems when those two officers were being transported. The Administration took a firm decision to phase the old and aged vehicles over a period of time in addition to purchasing reconditioned and or new VIP vehicles to complement the President’s fleet and to be used exclusively for State visits of other Heads of State,” Harmon added.
He noted that for 2016, a total of $53.8 million was budgeted for the acquisition of three reconditioned Toyota Crown vehicles, two reconditioned Toyota Premios, four motorcycles and two Toyota Prados. He further stated that in 2017, $22.5 million was allocated for the acquisition of one Toyota Crown, one reconditioned Toyota Allion, one reconditioned Toyota Premio while in 2018 they are seeking $48.2 million for two new Toyota Crown and six reconditioned motorcars.
However, in addition to those vehicles, Harmon omitted to mention that since the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change coalition came into Government in 2015, they have acquired two new Mercedes Benz along with one BMW.
“It is a scandal how many Toyota Crown they bought. Five Presidents used one Toyota Crown – President (Desmond) Hoyte, (Cheddie) Jagan, Sam Hinds, Janet (Jagan) and I used it for three years. The same vehicle five of us, we used it, because we safeguarded the people’s money,” former President and Leader of the political Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo noted.
“That’s not important what big fleet of vehicles you drive around in and what is important is jobs for young people, welfare increases and how you take care of old people… this is unbelievable,” he added.
The Opposition Leader noted that there are vehicles coming from other sources and not necessarily from the Ministry of the Presidency’s budget.
“With this Government you never know because they have tons and tons of slush funds that are at the discretion of the Ministers or political operatives in the Government but you would see,” he said.
