Visitors look at the second batch of to-be-auctioned government vehicles at a preview exhibition in Beijing, March 15, 2015. (Photo : www.ecns.cn)
The Chinese government has set the first online auction of government vehicles from Shaanxi Province on April 24, Friday, according to a report published in english.cri.cn.
The set of government vehicles for auction was first shown to the public in a preview exhibition held on April 19 at Shaanxi, the report said.
The said auction was part of reform measures taken by the government last July that allow offices to dispose of and take vehicles out of service.
Based on government guidelines, government-owned vehicles can only be used for special services, such as intelligence communication, rescue and emergencies, and not regular government affairs.
The central government's measures were introduced in 2014, and local governments have until sometime in 2015 to fully implement the orders.
According to the report, the first online auction was conducted on taobao.com at 10 a.m. on April 24, with a total of 109 vehicles.
The initial bid price of the auctioned vehicles range from 1,000 yuan to 120,000 yuan, the report added.
Among the vehicles being auctioned off include an Audi A6 with an initial bid price of 8,000 yuan.
The report said that the deposit for each vehicle is 10,000 yuan, which can only be paid online by an interested buyer.
According to the report, the government considers the online auction of government vehicles as the best way to have a fair and transparent deal with the cars.
The government failed to meet their expectations during the eighth offline auction of government vehicles in Beijing earlier this month.
Based on government guidelines, the money raised through the auctions will go to the central treasury.
