The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (BARVIDA) has claimed that reconditioned cars will go beyond purchasing power of people if the proposed budget of 2008-09 becomes effective.

Addressing a press conference at a local hotel yesterday, the BARVIDA leaders said the proposed budget, if implemented, would pave the way of importing new cars. Though the prices of ordinary non-luxurious microbuses would 'somewhat' go down, it will have 'no impact' on industrial sector at all, they claimed.

In his budget speech, the Finance Adviser proposed to reduce supplementary duty on importation of ordinary non-luxurious microbuses used for transportation of industrial raw materials and passengers, to 20 per cent from 60 per cent.

The BARVIDA leaders claimed that the prices of different types of motor vehicles, having more than 2350cc capacity, would increase by minimum Tk 5 lakh to maximum Tk 12 lakh each.

BARVIDA president Abdul Huq read out a written statement while secretary general Md Abdul Hamid Sharif replied to queries of journalists.

It was told at the press conference that the Finance Adviser proposed in the new budget to reduce dealers' commission to 20 per cent from 30 per cent alongside the readjustment of year-wise depreciation rates as 5, 10, 20 and 30 per cent respectively. "If this proposal is implemented, motor cars will go beyond the purchasing power of people," Abdul Huq.

He also called for imposing cc-based specific duties to "ensure transparency and accountability."

The BARVIDA leaders also made a unique claim at the press conference that customs intelligence officials had been questioning the car importers and seizing their registers and documents on the basis of the reports published in the newspapers.

"Motor vehicles are imported and duty is imposed according to the existing rules. So, we demand an end to unnecessary harassment of importers and sellers of motor vehicles being appeared at the showrooms," Huq said.