Measures To Prohibit
Importation of Old
Vehicles Ready in Two
Months
The government announced
that the decree that
sets the guidelines for
the importation of used
vehicles starting in
2009 will be ready in
two months.
The governments plan is
to slowly prohibit the
importation of old
vehicles with strict
measure that will be
applied to the
importation of vehicles
older than five years.
Officials of the
Ministerios de Ambiente
and Hacienda
(Environment and Finance
ministries) are in
charge of establishing the
measure, whose intent
is to slowly eliminate
all the old cars off the
road.
The measures form part
of the governments plan
for fuel consumption and
to eliminate
contamination.
"It is important to have
new vehicular fleet in
the country, as much as
automobiles, trucks and
buses", said Environment
minster, Roberto Dobles.
Dobles assured that the
new measures will be
read in two months and
will go into effect in
2009 so as to give time
to vehicle importers to
adjust.
Older vehicles currently
are not legislated off
the road because
government authorities
believe that the tough
vehicular inspection
regulations will force
owners of older vehicles
into getting into newer
vehicles.
For now the age limit of
imports has yet to be
defined, although seven
years is a number that
seems to be to
everyone's satisfaction.
José Carballo, of the
Cámara Costarricense
Automotriz (Costarican
Automotive Chamber)
assures that the new
measures will affect not
only importers of
passenger vehicles, but
importers of heavy
trucks and buses and
will mean the end for
many importers of used
vehicles.
Carballo added many
vehicle importers will
disappear as Costa
Ricans will not be able
to afford the used
vehicles imported,
suggesting that the
government apply the
same import tax applied
to new vehicles so that
importers can bring in
newer vehicles.
Carballo is also
proposing that the age
limit of the vehicle be
ten years and not seven.
Last year some 120
importers in the country
were responsible for the
import of 48.000 used
vehicles. |
