Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts & Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM) has strongly reacted to the decision of Cabinet Division permitting import of up to five year old re-conditioned cars, motorcycles, trucks and tractors and removing the restriction of "Personal baggage, gift and transfer of residence".
"Allowing commercial import of used vehicles is putting the last nail in the coffin of already ailing automotive industry Syed Nabeel Hashmi, Vice Chairman PAAPAM said. Hashmi said allowing commercial import of used vehicles is turning country in junkyard of sick vehicles because manufacturing spare parts of used vehicles is absolutely neither possible nor feasible because vehicles are being imported in several brands and models. This policy will further weaken our economy due to siphoning out of precious foreign exchange on subsequent import of spare parts for these vehicles, he lamented.
Hashmi said that appropriate forum for devising automotive related policies is Auto Industry Development Committee (AIDC), which has been by passed and decisions are being taken on the behest of used car lobby for whom import is being made easier and easier. Hashmi concluded that promoting such liberal import policies as a tool to generate quick revenues in the shape of custom duty at the cost of billions of rupees of investment in the automotive industry, will lead to an economic disaster for the country. He demanded immediate reversal of the decision to implement this proposed policy on used vehicles.