Monkagedi Gaotlhobogwe
4 September 2008
The days when non-citizens dominatedand monopolised government auction of vehicles are over.
Government has decided on strict regulations that will allow only citizens to benefit from the auctions.
The first of this unique sale of government vehicles will take place at the end of October, according to general manager, Central Transport Organisation (CTO), Lt Col Moakohi Modisanyane.
In an interview at his office yesterday, the CTO GM said the new regulations
will ensure that citizens get government vehicles at reasonable prices, as they will not be competing with noncitizensas in the past.
"The situation used to be unfair for citizens. Non-citizens would bid very high for the vehicles whose reserveprice was, say, P50,000.
They would later sell these vehiclesto Batswana at very high prices.We are now making it easy for citizensto own these vehicles.
Remember the vehicles are boughtfrom Batswana's taxes," Modisenyane said.
He said in the past, CTO vehicle auctionsattracted interest from rich buyers from Namibia and South Africa. "They would even phone our offices to enquire about the next auction sale," the GM said.
Modisanyane says with effect from the next auction sale, CTO will not allow non-citizens anywhere near theauction site. He said they have blanketed the CTO yard where the vehicles for auction are kept with black-netting so that no one can see what is inside from the outside.
He said they want to fight 'fronting' whereby non-citizens use citizens to procure vehicles for them.
"Fronting has always been our concern.But we are doing everything to fight it. The new regulations that come into effect this month empowers us to fight the problem," the GM said.
According to Modisanyane, citizens will not be allowed to transfer ownership to non-citizens until 24 months after buying it from the auction sale.
He added that the new regulations on auction sales of government vehicles
state that only 100 percent citizen owned companies may bid for the vehicles.
He said every citizen will be allowed to purchase a maximum of two vehiclesat a time. " This is meant to enable people to buy two different kinds of vehicles, say a truck, and a car, for example," said Modisenyane. He added that the new regulations also empower them to stop people from participating in more than one auction sale site.
The CTO boss further said that in collaboration with various government departments like the Department of Road Transport Safety (DRTS), they would ensure that fronting does not occur.
"If anyone tries to change ownership of vehicles after buying, the system will not allow it, until 24 months have elapsed," Modisenyane said.
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