Papua New Guinea gov't says it won't pay for 40 luxurious Maserati cars

United States Vice President Mike Pence and Chinese President Xi Jinping are among the dignitaries expected to attend the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the capital, Port Moresby, on 17 and 18 November.

Maserati luxury

The Papua New Guinea government chartered two Boeing 747 cargo planes to fly the 40 Maserati Quattroporte sedans from the Italian factory in Milan to the nation of 8.5 million people, mostly subsistence farmers, AirBridgeCargo Airlines said in a statement.

Papua New Guinea APEC Minister Justin Tkatchenko said the cars, with a recommended retail price in the US of $107 400 ( about Rs 3 695 000), "are being committed to be paid for by the private sector."

While Papua New Guinea struggles to pay teachers and deal with a polio outbreak, the government has purchased a fleet of luxury Maserati sedans for APEC leadershttps://t.co/hEh4PZbNl3

Tkatchenko's office did not immediately respond on Thursday to a request for details of the deal.

"Having vehicles paid for by the private sector is the smartest way to have use of the vehicles at APEC at no overall cost to the state.

"The sedans will provide the level of carriage for leaders that is the standard for vehicles used at APEC summits," Tkatchenko said in a statement.

Ports Moresby's Post Courier newspaper on Thursday quoted Tkatchenko as saying Papua New Guinea had resold cars after international summits before.

"For those who continue to spread lies and bring hype to the issue of the vehicles  being brought into the country, the national government did not pay for any of the vehicles; these vehicles have been bought by the private sector," he said.

"And once we conclude the APEC summit, the vehicles will be sold to individuals or businesses that wish to acquire such a car," he added.