VietNamNet cridge – The Vice Chairman of the southern province of Hau Giang had to return a blue licence number (granted to government cars) to get a white one (for private cars) for his VND5 billion ($250,000) Lexus after photos of the car on the street appeared on social networks.

The VND5 billion Lexus.

The photos captured public attention because the car value far exceeds the ceiling price set for state cars that a provincial official is permitted to use.

It turned out that the car belongs to Trinh Xuan Thanh, Vice Chairman of Hau Giang Province.

Thanh explained that he borrowed the car from his friend in Hanoi. When he got a transfer from Hanoi to Hau Giang, he brought the car with him.

He also said that at the time he assumed the vice chairmanship in Hau Giang, the local government could not arrange a state car for him so he temporarily used the Lexus. The local agencies granted the state licence number to this private car.

Thanh said he was willing to return the state licence number to get a private one.

On June 1, the spokerperson of the Hau Giang People’s Committee Tran Thanh Lam said Vice Chairman Thanh usually travelled on business to neighboring provinces so the provincial Party Committee and People’s Committee asked the police to temporarily give a state licence number to Thanh’s car. The plate will be revoked when Thanh stops working in Hau Giang.

Colonel Vo Chi Thanh Colonel, Head of Hau Giang provincial traffic police agency, said the granting of state licencing number to Thanh’s private car was approved by the Hau Giang Party Committee and People's Committee.

Meanwhile, some lawyers said that there were no provisions of the Ministry of Public Security on granting green number plates for private cars.

The car that the Vice Chairman of Hau Giang uses already had a white number plate so it was wrong to give it another blue number plate.

In the latest news, Thanh returned the green plate number to Hau Giang police.

"We are checking and will ask the Ministry of Finance’s approval to buy a state car for Mr. Thanh. He is using a private car and the provincial government only arranges a driver for him,” the spokerperson of the Hau Giang People’s Committee Tran Thanh Lam said.

According to a decision issued by the government in 2015, the Vice Party Secretary and Vice Chair of the People’s Committee and People’s Council of provinces are allowed to use state cars worth up to VND920 million ($45,000) to go to work.

Before being appointed as Vice Chair of Hau Giang, Thanh was head of the office of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Party Committee.

Thu Ly