As one would expect, car manufacturers would argue the case before the government in their interest.
ISLAMABAD: This is with reference to Shahbaz Rana’s report of October 24 titled “Auto-makers lobby Ministry of Industries to curb car imports”. As one would expect, car manufacturers would argue the case before the government in their interest and this would be to block the import of used cars, since they would be cheaper and lower the demand for more expensive locally-assembled cars.
However, the government needs to consider the other view as well, that is, of customers. It is in the interest of ordinary car buyers that they have an option to purchase cheaper cars, if there is indeed such an opportunity. Furthermore, the ministry concerned can judge for itself how car prices compare in the rest of the region by taking a survey of locally-assembled cars in neighbouring countries. I should add that, for example, one basic point in favour of imported cars is that locally-assembled vehicles often do not have features that are deemed basic in models manufactured overseas. Another is the failure of local manufacturers to introduce cheaper-priced family models, which is the case in several regional countries.
Imran Wazeer
Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2012.
