Vehicles To Be More
Expensive In 2009
According to the
sociación Importadora de
Vehículos y Maquinaria (AIVEMA)
used and new cars will
be more expensive in
2009 with the
introduction of new
regulations for vehicles
included in the reforms
to the Ley de Tránsito.
Liliana Aguilar, a
spokesperson for AIVEMA,
said that one of the
items is that all
vehicles must have a
bumper that can
withstand an impact of
15 kilometres per hour,
a requirement that is
not even possible in the
United States and
Europe. Another
requirement is air bags,
an items than most small
cars do not have,
according to AIVEMA.
What the new
requirements mean is
that imports of vehicles
will be stalled at their
port of entry while a
solution is found to the
problem, this includes
vehicles in transit to
Costa Rica and those
vehicles already in "almacenes
fiscales" waiting to
clear customs and tax
payments.
Legislator Mario Quirós
del Movimiento
Libertario (ML) said
that the problem was
foreseen from the
beginning and the fault
will be with those who
voted in favour of the
legislation. "It is a
legal challenge and we
said it from the
beginning", said Quirós.
Members of AIVEMA say
they hope to meet with
the ministra de Obras
Públicas y Transportes,
Karla Gonzalez, to
emphasize their
disagreement with the
requirement as it will
affect the import of
used vehicles, as well
as new, in 2009. |
