Cyprus president nixes luxury car use for top civil servants

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — A spokesman says the Cypriot president has scrapped plans to grant free-of-charge, around-the-clock use of state-financed luxury vehicles to top civil servants amid a public outcry over a perceived waste of taxpayers’ money.  Government spokesman Marios Pelekanos said in a statement on Monday that President Nicos Anastasiades instructed the Finance Ministry to withdraw the decision after taking note of concerns that use of the vehicles would extend beyond the civil servants’ official duties to activities like family excursions and shopping trips. The decision to grant vehicle use to senior officials was made following a deal with trade union officials to gradually re-instate the privilege that was cut following a 2013 financial crisis.