In defiance of a Treasury directive, six luxury vehicles belonging to the Ministry of Health have been withheld from a government-wide auction process.
The vehicles, classified as high-end, high-capacity models, were expected to be auctioned in line with a circular issued by the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, who had instructed all government institutions to dispose of such luxury vehicles and submit income reports by March 1 this year.
According to reports, the Ministry of Health failed to comply with this directive. Despite formal notification, six officials within the ministry have not released the vehicles for auction, as required.
The Finance Ministry had clearly stated that no government institution is permitted to re-purchase these vehicles once they are auctioned, reinforcing the policy’s objective to curb wasteful public expenditure.
Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa has reportedly been made aware of the issue, and a committee has now been appointed to oversee the initial process of recovering and auctioning the concealed vehicles.
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