A new armoured presidential limousine, worth €595,000, will soon be used for his transportation by the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides.
No tender was announced for the purchase of the luxury armoured vehicle, but the state proceeded with a direct negotiation with a car dealership in Cyprus. Already, the Ministry of Finance has sent a relevant request to the Parliamentary Committee on Finance, requesting the release of a fund of €595,000 for the payment of the cost of purchasing the armoured vehicle for the Presidency of the Republic.
The decision to procure this vehicle was taken by the Council of Ministers at its meeting on July 16. The relevant request will be put under the microscope of the members of the parliamentary Finance Committee on Monday. The competent ministry, in its letter to the Parliament, avoids citing information on the technical specifications of the specific vehicle, as, as it points out, these include confidential requirements concerning safety features, such as shielding requirements, which should not be disclosed.
The presidential limousines
Presidential armoured vehicles were also purchased by direct assignment to specific companies in the past. According to data submitted to the Parliament, in the context of parliamentary control, President Christodoulidis uses an armoured limousine purchased during the presidency of Nicos Anastasiades for his travels.
Specifically, Mr. Christodoulides' existing armoured presidential vehicle was purchased in 2019 for the amount of €258,850 plus VAT. This particular limousine replaced the presidential armoured vehicle used by Demetris Christofias. The vehicle for President Christofias was purchased in 2010 at a price of €291,000, plus VAT. According to information that was made at the time in Parliament, the cost of maintaining the presidential vehicle of Demetris Christofias had amounted to €138,654.
They rented for the EU Presidency
Within the framework of the Cyprus Presidency, the Republic proceeded with the rental of 12 armoured limousines, which were used for the transportation of the Heads of State who were in Cyprus and participated in the Informal Summit of the Heads of State of the European Union. The government has requested bids from vehicle dealerships in Cyprus.
All 12 armoured limousines were transported from Germany and leased for ten days, at a cost of €140,000. The Republic paid the amount of €14,000 per day for the rental of the 12 limousines. In fact, the country will demand that the costs be covered by the European Union.
Vehicles for officials
The state, about two years ago, proceeded with the purchase of 35 electric and hybrid vehicles, which state officials use for their commuting. Specifically, these are 25 electric saloon vehicles, five all-terrain electric vehicles and five hybrid external rechargeable vehicles. The total amount spent at that time was €1.65 million.
