The Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (Barvida) on Wednesday urged the government to reconsider supplementary duty on import of 10–15-seater microbuses, widely used as public transport, in the proposed budget.
At a post-budget press conference, they also demanded that the government grant their previous demand of 45% depreciation facility on import of reconditioned cars, as well as year-wise depreciation facility, as the finance minister did not propose those in his budget speech for fiscal year 2021-22.
But Barvida leaders stressed on full withdrawal of supplementary duty on import of 10-15 seater microbus, which was also not mentioned in the budget.
Secretary General of Barvida Mohammad Shahidul Islam urged this at a press conference.
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They welcomed restructuring and reducing the tariff on import of microbus, hybrid cars, and jeep (from 1801CC up to 2500CC).
The association also expressed gratitude to Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal for considering their proposals, such as declaring microbuses as public transports, through discouraging the use of unsafe and unauthorized transports like shallow engine-run human haulers Nosimon and the 12-seater Legunas.
The association leaders also said that it is important to expand the car markets in the country to implement the government’s vision of economic growth, at a time when Bangladesh is graduating to a developing country from a Least Developed Country (LDC).
At the press conference, it was mentioned that in some cases the prices of reconditioned cars were going to be eventually higher than brand new cars, due to existing discriminations on customs tax valuations in two types of vehicles.
As a result, the number of buyers is declining and import is also going down and the businessmen in this sector have been facing a severe financial crisis, they also said.
The import of reconditioned vehicles reached 12,502 units in fiscal 2018-19 from 23,075 in fiscal 2017-18 and some 20,149 units in fiscal 2016-17.
Barvida also suggested the government be careful so that its initiative of setting up of the car manufacturing plant does not turn into merely a "screw driving industry" by importing complete knockdowns (CKD) of vehicles.
Barvida President Abdul Haque gave a welcome speech at the press conference.
Vice-Presidents of Barvida Mohd Saiful Islam (Samrat) & Md Jashim Uddin Mintu, Joint Secretary General Mohammad Mokhlesur Rahman, Treasurer Mohammed Anisur Rahman, Publication and Publicity Secretary Farid Ahmed and Executive Committee Members Abu Hossain Bhuiyan (Ranu), Md Ziaul Islam, Md Yunus and Ali Dr Md Anisur Rahman Khan were present.
