Govt fleet to get ex-MPs’ 30 duty-free cars

The government has decided to hand over 30 luxury vehicles imported duty-free by members of the dissolved 12th national parliament to the Directorate of Government Transport after the former lawmakers failed to clear them from Chattogram port.

The vehicles -- including Toyota Land Cruisers, Harriers and other sports utility vehicles with engine capacities ranging from 3,000cc to 4,000cc -- had been left at the port for months, losing value and attracting little buyer interest at auction, said customs officials.

In January, Chattogram Customs House attempted to sell the vehicles but received bids far below the reserve value (the lowest amount a seller will accept) of about Tk 9 crore.

Under auction rules, vehicles cannot be sold for less than 60 percent of their reserve value.

Bids were placed at less than Tk 2 crore, forcing customs to halt the process.

An inter-ministerial meeting later recommended that the cars be transferred to the government transport pool, a proposal endorsed by the finance division.

The directorate will cover port and freight charges from its fiscal 2025-26 budget, according to official documents.

Subsequently, on September 24, the order instructing Chattogram Customs House to take the necessary steps was issued.

"This will not only save money on government vehicle purchases but also prevent the cars from being wasted at the port," HM Kabir, deputy commissioner of Chattogram Customs House, told The Daily Star.

Introduced during HM Ershad's regime in 1987, the duty-free car facility has long faced criticism for depriving the state of revenue.

Over the past 15 years, tax exemptions on lawmakers' car imports have cost the government more than Tk 5,147 crore, according to data from the National Board of Revenue.