Vehicles to be bought for three government ministers will cost taxpayers 43 million ISK, as they happen to be luxury cars.
Viðskiptablaðið reports that three new cars have been brought into the ministerial fleet. Minister of Foreign Affairs Gunnar Bragi Sveinson has received a Land Rover Discovery SE. The market price in Iceland for this vehicle is 13 million ISK.
Minister of Finance Bjarni Benediktsson went with a Mercedes E-Class, which is valued at a more frugal 10 million ISK. Bjarni’s current vehicle, a BMW 5 Series, is currently undergoing repairs, and he has been driving a rental in the interim. As his Mercedes will not be available until after the new year, it is likely he will continue to drive the unidentified rental car.
In the meantime, the Prime Minister’s office has its eye on two different cars. Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson must decide between a BMW 7 Series or a Mercedes Benz S Class. In this instance, the deciding factor will not have anything to do with price – both cost 20 million ISK a piece. A final decision is expected soon.
The purchase of these government vehicles comes directly through the State Trading Centre. While Viðskiptablaðið speculates that the government probably got a discount for the luxury cars, how much of a discount has not been confirmed, let alone if there even was one.
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