A senior government official has confirmed that while Cabinet members and deputy ministers will use the official vehicles previously allocated to ministers in the former government, all other government MPs will be provided with ‘non-luxury, fuel-efficient’ vehicles.
This means that every one of the 159 government MPs will have an official vehicle. However, ministers and deputy ministers will use vehicles that were assigned to their respective ministries under the former administration. These vehicles will not be replaced with new ones, but may be those previously used by former ministers.
The decision to extend the provision of official vehicles to all government MPs was defended by the official, who highlighted the necessity for MPs to travel to and from Colombo for official duties.
However, the official emphasized that no luxury vehicles, such as V8 models, will be assigned to these MPs.
Additionally, the government has identified 344 vehicles that are difficult to maintain, including expensive-to-repair luxury cars like V8s. These vehicles are set to be auctioned, with the proceeds being directed towards purchasing more economical vehicles for non-ministerial MPs.
The official noted that the primary criterion for vehicle selection would be fuel efficiency, ensuring that no luxury vehicles with high fuel consumption are purchased. Furthermore, discussions are ongoing with the Presidential Secretariat regarding the potential release of vehicles from its pool if the auction revenue falls short of covering the costs for the new vehicles.
