Taipei Times
Date: Nov 02, 2017
By: Chen Wei-han  /  Staff reporter

The National Security Bureau (NSB) yesterday admitted to negligence in allocating funds for the procurement of presidential security vehicles, saying that the previous Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration’s purchase of nine vehicles from German automaker Audi left the bureau with limited options for the presidential limousine.

The Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee yesterday unfroze a budget of NT$25.22 million (US$835,791), of which about NT$25 million is to be used to purchase an Audi A8 L Security sedan as the new presidential limousine.

The budget was proposed by the bureau last year, but the legislature froze it due to budgeting practice flaws.

The bureau in 2015 purchased nine Audi A8 Ls as presidential motorcade vehicles for a total of NT$31.09 million, but the vehicles’ security equipment do not offer sufficient protection for the president, making the purchase of a new presidential vehicle necessary.    [FULL  STORY]