Public sector austerity shelved: Purchases continue despite circular

The government, which promised austerity in public spending as part of the fight against inflation, had decided to sell off surplus vehicles from the 120,000-strong public fleet. However, there has been a significant deviation in practice. The response provided by Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek to a parliamentary question from CHP Manisa MP Ahmet Vehbi Bakırlıoğlu has sparked widespread public backlash.

1,079 VEHICLES WERE TO BE SOLD, ONLY 135 WERE SOLD

According to the information provided by Şimşek, it was planned to put 1,079 vehicles up for sale by the end of April 2025. Of these vehicles, only 298 were offered for tender, and only 135 could be sold. The sales process for the remaining vehicles is being conducted by the Privatization Administration, and it is stated that tenders will continue in the coming periods.

SELLING ONE, BUYING A THOUSAND: 3,423 NEW VEHICLES PURCHASED

Aside from the low sales figures, the increase in new vehicle purchases for the public sector has also drawn attention. CHP's Bakırlıoğlu emphasized that 3,423 new vehicles were purchased for the public sector with the 2025 budget. Last year, this number was 3,059. Thus, while more than 6,000 vehicles were purchased in two years, the number of vehicles sold remained at only 135.

Bakırlıoğlu stated that the sales were entirely for show, saying:

“They sold only 135 out of 120,000 vehicles, which doesn't even amount to one in a thousand. Despite this, more than 3,000 new vehicles were purchased for the public sector. The government is not giving up on luxury official vehicles and the reign of bureaucrats. It is also not being disclosed how much revenue was generated from the sold vehicles.”

PURCHASES CONTINUE DESPITE THE MAY 2024 AUSTERITY CIRCULAR

The austerity circular issued by the Presidency in May 2024 stated that public institutions would not be able to purchase new vehicles for three years. However, only emergency services such as defense, security, health, and firefighting were exempted in this circular. 

News Source: 12punto