black-cars-interior-ministry

(Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Government bodies in Georgia have purchased 2 146 cars from January 2011 to July 2013, a new a report by Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association shows.

Six out of ten of the most expensive cars were purchased by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) in May, 2013.

The most expensive car was a Mercedes Benz purchased in July 2012 by the MIA. The purchase price was 110 000 euros. In these two years, MIA purchased the most car: 1411. Most of them – 1065 units – were bought in 2011. Government bodies purchased 461 cars in 2013.

Kakha Kozhoridze, Chairman of GYLA, said as the report was presentated on Monday that 90 million lari (USD 54 million) was spent on cars in these two years.

“What’s most important is that there is no legislative regulation, which would regulate this process, which in fact means that it depends on the good will of the officials how the targeted budget money will be spent,” he said.

GYLA representatives say the government has responded to the report by promising to create a government commission to study the issue and bring in new regulation. GYLA thinks the most important is now is to improve legislation, for example to establish a regulation which would require purchasing inexpensive and economically beneficial cars.

The ten most expensive cars purchased in the period covered by GYLA’s report were: Mercedes Benz 500L – EUR 110 000 (09.07.2012); Lexus LS 460 – USD 100 000 (17.07.2012); Lexus 570 – USD 98 000 (27.11.2012); Volkswagen TS – GEL 144 029 (10.05.2013); Mercedes Benz KA-35K, five units – GEL 135 964 each (10.05.2013); Mercedes Benz Atego – GEL 130 070 (13.12.2011).