SUVs for bureaucrats amid economic woes?
Last year, a proposal to buy 261 SUVs—worth about Tk 1.46 crore each—for deputy commissioners (DCs) and upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) was approved. But after severe criticism against the backdrop of a struggling economy, the government decided to halt the buying process. It is, therefore, quite puzzling to see the revival of that decision, especially when the country's economic condition has worsened. Going ahead with this decision, rather than using facilities that are already available, will be nothing but a waste of public money.
On May 11, Bangladesh's foreign reserves fell below the $19 billion-mark for the first time in 11 months; on May 21, it stood at $18.61 billion. Despite the crisis of dollars, it is quite baffling that the government is okay with importing these vehicles which will likely further impact the reserves. As per a report by Prothom Alo, officials say foreign currency won't be used to buy the cars, but the parts will be imported and assembled to make them, which, as they admitted, will require foreign currency. It's clear that this logic does not stand. The authorities are going through with this decision after the taka further depreciated against the dollar, standing at approximately Tk 117. This means the initial total expenditure—Tk 381 crore—will increase. This is nothing but an ill-considered initiative.
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The rationale for buying these vehicles originally was to ensure that the national election was successfully conducted, maintaining law and order. Now, the public administration ministry has a new reason: to maintain the efficiency of public works. These changing arguments diminish the declared need to buy these SUVs. Maybe this is why the administration is pushing the move in a clandestine manner. Reportedly, the public administration and finance ministers bypassed the purchasing committee to approve the proposal, which points to ill-intent. As an expert has stated, this sets a dangerous precedent for moving other questionable proposals in this manner.
Last month, food inflation hit 10.22 percent—the first time it hit double digits in five months—while non-food inflation stood at 9.34 percent. When our people are struggling to make ends meet, how can the government be this liberal while spending their hard-earned money, that too going against its own austerity policy? We strongly urge the authorities to reconsider this initiative, and prudently evaluate all financial decisions to restore our economic health.
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