The Ministry of Works and Transport has confirmed the procurement of 20 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado vehicles valued at N$24.65 million for Public Office Bearers (POBs) under the government’s vehicle replacement policy.
Delivering a ministerial response in Parliament, Minister of Works and Transport Veikko Nekundi said the procurement process was guided by an established policy framework aimed at ensuring fiscal discipline and transparency.
He explained that general government vehicles remain in service for five years or 120,000 kilometres, after which they are publicly auctioned with Treasury approval.
“I note for the record that this represents approximately N$1,232,515 per vehicle — a figure that warrants contextualisation against the vehicle specifications, which I shall address in my response to the following question,” Nekundi said.
The minister added that Gobabis Toyota won the tender following a transparent process conducted in line with the Public Procurement Act, after bids from M&Z Motors, Indongo Toyota, and Performance Development Centre were evaluated.
Nekundi defended the choice of the Land Cruiser Prado, citing its durability, safety, regional service coverage, and lower lifecycle maintenance costs as key considerations.
He also noted that the government’s new single-vehicle policy, which replaced the previous dual allocation system, has resulted in significant savings through reduced insurance, licensing, and maintenance costs.
“Vehicle procurement demands rigorous assessment extending well beyond simple purchase price considerations,” he said.
Nekundi further clarified that vehicle purchases for public office bearers fall under the Public Office Bearers Commission, which determines their conditions of service.
Under the current policy, each office bearer contributes 1.5% of the vehicle’s value monthly and may purchase the car at the end of their term at a 20% annual depreciation rate, less N$100 per 1,000 kilometres driven.
