The recall measure was taken by acting Public Works Minister  André Misiekaba and has been adopted by Public Works Minister Stephen Tsang.  Jason Gummels, an official at the Public Works Ministry, explained that the recall is aimed at getting a complete and actual picture of the entire fleet of the ministry.  “We basically want to start at zero. Without a good oversight, one can’t manage things properly. That is why it is important to reregister each vehicle,” said  Gummels who added that the decision was made at a high level and that it is not an initiative of the state employees. The registration will also focus on the current state and location of each vehicle. “Each vehicle is an important tool. One must know how many one has, what their current state is and where they are located,” said Gummels. A source from the Public Works Ministry explained that the mandatory reregistration is also aimed at preventing improper use of state property.

“There are cases of people who have 3 government vehicles at their home without actually using them.  That must stop. Each vehicle must be inspected. We want to know exactly how many vehicles there are, where they are and for what they are being used.” Several state employees have already disapproved of the recall but the source made it clear that this move is necessary to guarantee transparency and proper management of the fleet. “There are people who are angry because they have to hand in their vehicles but this is inevitable. Company cars are not meant for private use,” said the source. Before the new administration came into office the Public Works Ministry purchased and allocated new vehicles but it is not clear where the vehicles actually went.