It is possible, admitted public service minister Richard Baloyi, that the quality of cars purchased by ministers could be downgraded.

He also admitted that it does bother him that large sums of money are spent on buying expensive cars for ministers during a time of economic stringency.

"My response if that yes, it does bother," he told a media briefing in Parliament on Wednesday called to discuss the question of ministerial cars and ministerial housing. "We are considering options," he said.

Downgrading the cars would, he stressed be only one option. But he is prepared to consider others, including one suggested by a participant in the press conference who wanted to see ministers drawing a car from a government pool.

He also emphasised that the way the rules in the ministerial handbook are implemented becomes important. "It is in the manner as to how you manage these things," he said.

The minister pointed out that the handbook does not say the minister must purchase a car valued at 70 percent of his salary: it says he may not spend more than this on his wheels.

He said he did not want to pre-empt the outcome of the review of the ministerial handbook, because he did not want to make it his personal decision. But he agreed that the review should produce results soon.

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