Tax-payers will be footing a monthly bill of SBD$56,000 for vehicle rentals following a private arrangement agreed upon by the Prime Minister's Office and East Fataleka MP, Steve Abana.

Island Sun reports the arrangement sees four Government MP's being allocated with vehicles owned by the former Opposition Leader at a daily charge of five hundred dollars.

Deputy Prime Minister, Manasseh Maelanga along with two other Government Ministers, Clay Forau, Gordon Darcy Lilo and government back-bencher, David Tome have been allocated with the use of four Toyota RAV 4 vehicles.

Apart from the four, another three Government back-benchers are using government hired vehicles from an established car rental company in Honiara.

A Government source revealed that the rental is yet to be paid, however the directive for the arrangement come from the Prime Minister's Office.

The latest arrangement is a continuing trend among Government Back-benchers being issued with Government sponsored vehicles, as opposed to the normal practice of issuing Government vehicles only to Ministers of the crown.

The arrangement is reportedly part of the deal for the defection of the former Opposition Leader and five of his colleagues to the Government last month.