Government officials had already started fantasizing about their shiny new, armored BMWs with all the optional extras, but Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz succumbed to public pressure on Wednesday and ordered his Director-General Doron Cohen to look into canceling the tender for the luxury vehicles. "We need to consider not just how much the cars are going to cost the state and carry out a cost-benefit analysis, but also public perception," Steinitz said. The starting price of a BMW 528 is NIS 400,000 (about $100,000). The Government Vehicle Administration had decided to "treat" the cabinet ministers and other senior government officials by upgrading their state-issued vehicles from an Audi A6 to the BMW 528i. The decision, however, sparked strong criticism on Wednesday, in particular as most ministries are dealing with budget cuts and taxes are rising. Opposition leader Shelly Yachimovich (Labor) said she was not surprised by the decision to upgrade the vehicles, and that choosing the most expensive car reflected the government's ostentatiousness and lack of shame. "This car is showy and unbecoming of elected officials, and is further evidence that the government is disconnected from the people it is supposed to represent," she said. Simple arithmetic shows that the total cost of purchasing the 50 BMW's would reach NIS 20 million. Ministers who prefer a more modest car would have the option of the cheaper Citroen C5 Exclusive model. Before Steinitz's announcement, his ministry had rejected criticism of the tender, emphasizing that it had secured significant discounts. "It was a dynamic tender; we will save money with these cars," the office claimed. In an attempt to minimize criticism, the GVA decided to disqualify cars with flashy colors, such as blue, red or yellow, with officials allowed to choose only between black and white. The Finance Ministry clarified Wednesday that it had not yet signed a deal with the winner of the tender, but that it would be signed in the coming days. Significant discounts are usually given to the state when it issues public tenders for official government vehicles. Steinitz's new directive to his director general, however, means that the ministry will have to examine whether the previous tender can be administratively and legally withdrawn in favor of another one with new financial parameters, which would leave luxury cars like the BMW 528 out of the picture.
Plan for new luxury cars for ministers hits the skids
Following public outrage, finance minister puts brakes on plan to upgrade officials' cars to armored BMWs at likely cost of NIS 20 million • Opposition leader Shelly Yachimovich: Decision to choose most expensive car reflects government ostentatiousness.
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