Punjab plans to ‘spend over Rs 612 million on luxury vehicles’ amid Centre’s austerity drive

LAHORE: As the cash-strapped country struggles to cut administrative costs as part of an austerity drive, the Punjab government plans to spend over Rs 612 million on 76 luxury vehicles for Parliament secretaries and escorts for protocol duties of provincial ministers such as emerged on Monday.

sources said Geo News that the additional chief secretary wrote a letter to the finance department to release funds of over Rs 612 million for the procurement of 76 luxury vehicles.

They added that the government will procure 29 luxury vehicles worth Rs 220 million for the secretaries of the House, while 15 vehicles worth Rs 90 million will be delivered for the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD).

Further, the sources claimed that the government has decided to purchase 30 vehicles worth Rs 200.90 million for protocol duties of provincial ministers. Two additional vehicles worth Rs 30.61 million will be procured to strengthen the S&GAD transport pool.

The development came as the federal government is actively pursuing economic reforms and fast-tracking its empowerment policy under the direct supervision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Last year, Prime Minister Shehbaz had asked his ministers and advisers to ditch financial status and give up their luxury cars and salaries as part of an austerity drive that will save the government 200 billion rupees a year.

The budget for the financial year 2024-25 has put enormous pressure on the already strained public and salaried class as the government has failed to provide relief by avoiding austerity measures for its officials.

A day earlier, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced that the government would abolish 150,000 vacancies, disband one ministry and merge two others in a bid to cut administrative costs.

After the approval of the federal cabinet, he said the rights commission has decided to do away with 60% of vacant seats, which will help in reducing expenditure.

In a similar move this month, the Sindh government planned to spend Rs 2 billion on 138 luxury 4×4 vehicles for assistant commissioners (ACs) across the province.

The assistant commissioners will be provided with Toyota Hilux Revo vehicles, each costing over Rs 10 million. These new vehicles were intended to facilitate officers in performing their duties more efficiently, according to the sources.

Economists have repeatedly suggested a complete ban on the purchase of luxury goods or vehicles for all government entities and have advised against creating any administrative unit such as a new region or city if the country was facing economic challenges.