Dear Editor,
Since we are no longer a Marxist, Leninist, Socialist state, which is a good thing, why most of us still must drive an imported used car in Guyana? It is a class system in Guyana, separating the haves and they do not want you to have. Many have duty free vehicle exemptions. Officials also get a monthly car allowance for their vehicles. The imposed car duties in Guyana are Marxist, deemed to keep the average Guyanese aspiring. Why are 4×4 (greater than 1500cc – high duty taxes) vehicles beyond the reach of the average Guyanese and most contractors, given our roads! Our officials drive Prado, Lexus, Land Cruiser, Crown, Ranger, Benz, BMW, Tacoma, 4Runner, Range rover, Nissan most over (2900 CC). There are few 1500CC (1.5L) 4×4 on the market worth buying or available. Many contractors still ride bicycles to job sites. Granted, there is possible fraud in the importation of vehicles. Clearly fuel economy is essential.
On my many visits to Japan, Thailand, and Mexico, on behalf of my employer Nissan Global, I saw how new cars are manufactured. It is a complex operation. More importantly, visiting several Japanese exporters of used cars in the suburbs of Yokohama, Tokyo, and Atsugi, they are good at it. Used Japanese cars yearly (1.6 million) are exported all over the world but primarily to nations in Africa, the Caribbean, parts of Europe, some Middle East countries, and Latin/South America countries with low per capita income. Are we really getting wealthy in Guyana or still a socialist state? You can count on your 10 fingers the used cars imported to America each year. High car tax duties in Guyana seems intended to separate the top 1%. I confess now retired from Nissan that Toyota makes the most reliable vehicles worldwide, the “Poke and Yoke methodology – TPS” pushed them ahead of the pack many decades ago.
Carlos Ghosn, ex-president of Nissan, my leader may disagree with me, but he is hiding in Lebanon from the Japanese Government. Most German cars are some of the safest but not necessarily the most reliable. The gap in reliability has closed immensely but safety is still number one. Again, we are no longer a Socialist state, to each according to his, her wants, without excessive duties. Many used cars imported to Guyana do not satisfy all current safety recalls (defects) based on mandatory repairs required by NHTSB “National Highway and Transportation Safety Board”, airbags, brakes, CVT transmission, suspension, overheating, seatbelts, battery issues, engine hose, passenger seat airbag sensor, improperly bolted seat, structural integrity of the vehicle, etc., etc. Some of these imported used vehicles are listed as ‘fleet’ vehicles.
Glad to see the local Toyota airbag recall in Guyana this past week, however it’s about 8 years late. GRA inspectors should take a trip to Japan and validate. I proffer the above to demonstrate on my purchase of an imported Japanese vehicle in Guyana, upon investigation determine the mileage was rolled back by 40k Kilometers and sold in Guyana. Not sure if it was done locally or before the vehicle arrived in Guyana. I suspect most vehicles are. We as a nation are ill prepared to regulate the used car industry in Guyana. This is a safety issue! A good criminal lawyer worth his/her salt should be salivating on this potential class action for those that have perished. Editor, no country in the Caribbean or South America should have a better car importation policy than Guyana, fix our duty and used car regulations, make us a true developing nation, resolve the perception of the class issue. Some should not have, and many cannot, not as an oil producing nation. Do not hold us back, the people of Guyana! FYI, I will never ride a minibus!
Sincerely,
Everton D. Morris
