ISLAMABAD: The business community have welcomed the government's decision to exempt the hybrid cars from taxes, saying it would lead to trim oil import bill besides promoting pollution-free environment in the country.
"Not only will the decision reduce Pakistan's oil import bill, but will also be a positive step towards improving the environment," remarked an senior official of the heading car manufacturing company while talking to APP here on Monday.
He said that the import of hybrid cars would also help control omission of Carbon-monoxide gases which was posing a serious threat to the environments the world over and causing drought and flash floods.
He said that currently about 12.5 million vehicles were running in the country which are extensively polluting air, depriving the people of neat and clean environment.
He further said that 80 percent of global environmental changes are due to auto-mobile pollution and introduction of hybrid cars will reduce fossil fuel reliance.
He said that his company so far sold more than five million hybrid vehicles since its launch and countries like India, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia are already importing these high tech cars.
He said that Toyota manufacturers are to import some Hybrid vehicles to fulfil the domestic requirements company will provide guarantee upto two years or 50,000 Km to facilitate its clients.
The use of hybrid cars have reported 50 percent reduction in their fuel consumption and expenses when compared to overall monthly expenditure of vehicles running on CNG, he added.
It is worth mentioning here that Hybrid cars up to 1200 cc are 100 percent exempted from import duty, sales and income tax. Similarly, from 1201 to 1800, there is an exemption of 50 per cent duty and from 1801 to 2500 cc, 25 percent waiver in duties will be allowed.
PML-N government proposed that it would reduce the duties on the import of Hybrid cars for tackling the issue of growing demand for petrol and CNG.
As far as the benefits to small car owners are concerned, unfortunately, there are no hybrid cars available in the market under 1200 cc which will make no effect on the worsening situation of CNG and fuel demand.
Currently with deteriorating fuel situation in the country, import of hybrid cars is the best injection that can start a chain reaction to improve the health of the environment in the country.
More than 50 percent of private vehicles run on CNG, which in turn is not available for 3 days a week. If even half of the personal vehicles on the road are shifted towards petrol, the gas load shedding schedule may come to an end, saving enough gas for the industries.
One of the reasons is that due to absence of CNG three days a week, people are forced to drive their vehicles on petrol at least two days. During these two days, the cars consume petrol in copious amounts, costing the owner a lot. Not to mention the agony one has to bear while waiting in an extremely long line to get CNG which is normally available at low pressure.
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