V8 ban in 2023 budget: Are we going to buy new saloon cars? – Hopeson Adorye asks

Hopeson Adorye of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has questioned the realistic nature of a recent budgetary directive to the effect that the use of V8 within Accra has been banned.

He questions whether or not those with V8 cars will be given new saloon cars in order for them to quit the usage of the V8s.

“With the issue of V8s, I am wondering how it will be done. Are we going to buy new saloon cars for Ministers or what? Because most of them use V8s already,” he submitted on Oman FM’s Boiling Point programme, November 24.

He also questioned the issue of fuel cuts of 50% for appointees: “Even this government fuel that has been slashed, how do we want the appointees to work? As for that one, I disagree, so what should they do?

“Some of these things must be tackled realistically. Imagine a Minister with a fuel coupon of 2,000 cedis, now having 1000 cedis but his full tank costs 1,800, so if their car runs out of fuel after three days, what do I do?” he quizzed.

What Ofori-Atta said about V8s and fuel allocations

Under the section of the budget on "Implementation of the Cabinet directives on expenditure measures," the Minister said:

Mr. Speaker, as the first step toward expenditure rationalisation, the Government has approved the following directives which take effect from January, 2023:

● All MDAs, MMDAs and SOEs are directed to reduce fuel allocations to Political Appointees and heads of MDAs, MMDAs and SOEs by 50%. This directive applies to all methods of fuel allocation including coupons, electronic cards, chit systems, and fuel depots. Accordingly, 50% of the previous year's (2022) budget allocation for fuel shall be earmarked for official business pertaining to MDAs, MMDAs and SOEs;

● A ban on the use of V8s/V6s or its equivalent except for cross-country travel. All government vehicles would be registered with GV green number plates from January 2023;

● Limited budgetary allocation for the purchase of vehicles. For the avoidance of doubt, the purchase of new vehicles shall be restricted to locally assembled vehicles;

● Only essential official foreign travel across government including SOEs shall be allowed. No official foreign travel shall be allowed for board members. Accordingly, all government institutions should submit a travel plan for the year 2023 by mid-December of all expected travels to the Chief of Staff.

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