A leading member of the ruling National Democratic Congress, Dr. Tony Aidoo has kicked against scrapping the policy in which public officials are allowed to purchase their official vehicles on retirement. He said such a decision will stifle the public service of the needed expertise, arguing the policy is one of few benefits public officials derive after several years of service to the nation. “Public officials are under paid. Having worked for several years, they leave to the house without anything to rely on,” he said. His comments come in the wake of reports that government is considering scrapping the policy after a protracted controversy with ex-government officials. He told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show host Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the principles underlying the policy must be emphasised and well implemented to avoid the unnecessary controversy. He expressed regret over the abuse of the policy by some former government officials which he said has created the impression that politicians are only interested in looting the country. “If you scrap (the policy), the conditions of service for public service must be favourable,” he said. Mr. Aidoo dismissed claims by Nana Akomea, NPP spokesperson on communication that the NPP handled the issues about cars effectively in 2001 when it took office. Mr. Akomea had told Kojo Oppong Nkrumah in the same interview that by January 20, 2001 a list of 80 ministers under the erstwhile NDC government who were interested in purchasing their official vehicles had gone through the required procedures to have the ownership of the cars changed in their names. He said the unnecessary controversy over cars has come about because government has failed to give clear guidelines in handling the situation. But Mr. Aidoo attributed the delay in resolving the car issues to the lack of cooperation by the officials of the previous government during the transition. He also dismissed claims made by Nana Akomea at an NPP press conference held Tuesday, and which he repeated during the interview, that the economy was better off in 2008 than it was in 2001 when they (NPP) to took over government. Given the funds accrued to the NPP during its eight years tenure, Dr. Aidoo argued that the considerable depletion in Ghana’s international reserves, fiscal deficits, balance of payments deficit in 2008 cannot be justified by the NPP. Listen to excerpts of the exchanges between Dr. Tony Aidoo and Nana Akomea in the attached audio. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline