(Trinidad Guardian) Angered by the revised foreign used car policy announced by Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon on Friday, president of the T&T Automotive Dealers Association (TTADA), Visham Babwah, says she shed tears for the wrong audience.
Babwah said only a “heartless” Government would implement such harsh measures on its citizens.
“She went to the Amcham meeting and cried and told them to be loyal to your country but did she save a tear to shed for the used car dealers and their employees?
“No, she cares for the people at Amcham.”
Bashing the Government’s new plan for the industry, he said dealers were not given proper notification of the changes.
Gopee-Scoon on Friday announced a new policy which bars the importation of gasoline-powered vehicles more than four years old. Previously, foreign used car dealers were allowed to import vehicles that were up to six years old.
The policy, which takes immediate effect, also restricts prospective buyers importing cars for personal use to doing so every four years instead of every three years.
“The decision was also taken that the current age limit of three years for diesel-powered cars and four years for CNG-powered cars which are allowed for importation be maintained,” the minister said during a media briefing at the ministry’s offices at Nicholas Towers, Port-of-Spain.
Gopee-Scoon said the application process for any new person or business seeking to register as a Foreign Used Car Dealer has been temporarily suspended as the Trade Ministry is currently undertaking a comprehensive review and audit of the existing policy. The review, which will include discussions with relevant stakeholders, will be concluded by March 31.
In an interview yesterday, Babwah said, “We were never notified by writing, public notice or even the decency of a phone call to let us know there was a change coming. We had a meeting with this minister in October and this was never indicated in any way.”
He said the announcement came as a great shock. He said the move was “bothersome” and indicated that the Government was a dictatorial one.
He also questioned why the announcement was not made at the post-Cabinet news briefing. Babwah said only 9,000 used cars were imported annually but close to 40,000 cars were being registered.
He said, “Look and see who are the contributors to the traffic situation. Yet they are blaming us for the traffic situation.”
He called on the Government to deal with the so-called unscrupulous dealers.
Several small dealers, Babwah said, stand to lose up to as much as $500,000 to $2 million for cars already purchased and waiting to be shipped.
He said, “What will happen is that people will lose money because some have purchased directly from the auction and there’s no refund. People will face some serious losses.”
Tomorrow the association is expected to write to Gopee-Scoon to request an urgent meeting.
Inshan: Dealers can come together, cut prices
There should have been a three-month window period before the revised foreign used car policy came into effect.
Managing director of ROC Roll-On Roll-Off Centre, Inshan Ishmael, said he did not have a major concern with the change in the age limit, but he felt that dealers should have been given a leeway.
Remaining optimistic, Ishmael said car dealers could all come together “to beat this together.”
He said, “We are doing something we have not done before. Dealers are coming together and we are going to make bulk orders and that way, on the four-year-old cars we can reduce prices. We have also agreed to cut our profits so that we can sustain the market.”
He said the discounts would be more if dealers bought cars collectively rather than individually.
Asked about the increased costs incurred on a car, he said it would vary from about $5,000 to $7,000.
However, “The increase depends on the dealer’s concern for the consumer or his own greed.”
He said he was prepared “to bite the bullet” in order to save foreign exchange and move forward.
“I gave commitment to workers that no one will go home whether we make one dollar or ten dollars. In this business you make a good profit but the fact remains if you have to survive, you have to remain competitive.”
