According to RJR, “16 Sports Utility Vehicles have been purchased from Toyota Jamaica for government ministers. This was revealed at Wednesday’s Jamaica House press briefing by Information Minister Sandrea Falconer.
According to Ms. Falconer, several ministers have been driving their personal motor vehicles, as some Ministers from the previous administration had purchased the vehicles assigned to them during their tenure.
But Senator Falconer could not give the cost for the vehicles or say when they were purchased:
“Well as you may recall the number of government ministers were not provided with vehicles when they came into office and a number of them had to be driving their own cars at significant personal cost to them.”
UPDATE:
The Gleaner has an article today (Nov 22) also showing the prices. “APPROXIMATELY J$60 million has been spent by the Portia Simpson Miller administration to provide some of its ministers with new high-end vehicles since taking office almost a year ago.”
If the cost of the new vehicles was shocking, check out the prices at which the old ones were sold:
“The Government provided a list which showed that 30 SUVs were sold to outgoing ministers and permanent secretaries. The total cost of the vehicles is J$28.9 million.
Vehicles were sold for prices as low as J$499,700 in the case of a 2006 Toyota Land Cruiser, which was purchased by Donovan Stanberry, the permanent secretary in the agriculture ministry.”
We wouldn’t mind a 2006 Toyota Land Cruiser for J$499,700. Good deal. Now a Land Cruiser is an appreciating asset.
Big In Jamaica 