Government set to auction abandoned state gallopers

Government has decided to auction the gallopers parked for years at the Local Government Institute, Deputy Finance Minister Kwaku Kwarteng has revealed.

The move, according to him, was necessitated by the government’s apprehension over the perception the rotting vehicles will send to the tax payer.

The vehicles numbering 86 were brought in to be used by District Chief Executives across the country under the Rawlings administration.

But they have been abandoned for close to 17 years because the then Kufuor government refused to distribute them to the various assemblies citing the absence of a written contract in their purchase.

Successive governments thereafter failed to reach an amicable settlement with the importers of the vehicles, African Automobile Company Limited for them to be used.

Speaking to Journalists Thursday in Accra, Kwarteng said a lot of the challenges relating to the vehicles which made past governments unable to distribute them for their intended purpose have been resolved.

“Given the rate at which those vehicles are deteriorating, we have made a decision to dispose of them” and that the government is looking to do that before the year ends.

“I can confirm the decision to dispose of the vehicles have been made and we will do so. All of us are concerned that the mere presence of those vehicles suggest to tax payers that their monies won’t be put to good use."

“We feel extremely concerned about that and it is the reason we are taking steps to ensure that those vehicles are disposed of as soon as possible."

“The valuation is finished...once we know how much the vehicles cost we may do it through auction,” he added.