She said the President has been using the current jet for external trips, though he was recently given a plane by Bombardier of Canada to travel to Singapore. Bombardier are the suppliers of the new presidential jet. "The usage of the aircraft (from Bombardier) was at no cost to government. I must also add that at the end of July 2009, government had not incurred any extra expenditure over the estimated cost (of buying the plane)," she said.
Nasha was responding to a question by the MP for Kgatleng East, Isaac Mabiletsa who wanted to know whether the new presidential jet has been delivered. Mabiletsa wanted to know what the President has been using for external trips and whether government has incurred any additional cost over and above the normal estimated expenditure. The MP wanted to know whether the minister does not consider it prudent to cancel the order as a cost cutting measure, the same way the government did by reducing the travelling entitlements for Cabinet ministers, MPs and their spouses on foreign trips.
