Car importers renew opposition on vehicle age limit

Car importers renew opposition on vehicle age limit

The plan to cap the age limit for imported second hand cars at 5 years from the current 8 years has been met by strong opposition from dealers who say the business is the economic mainstay for more than 2 million people both directly and indirectly.

Stakeholders involved in the importation business told off the Kenya Bureau of Standards KeBS technical team on Tuesday saying the proposed national automotive policy is punitive and inconsiderate of their grievances.

No agreement was reached during the meeting, with dealers insisting that the new measures would only benefit companies with financial muscle.

The Kenyan government however remains firm on restricting importation of second hand vehicles of more than 1500cc and exceeding 5 years from date of manufacturing

The stage is now set for a steep increase in vehicle prices and accompanying levies payable on the imported units.

Local assembly is encapsulated in the manufacturing pillar as government seeks to enhance the sector’s contribution to GDP from the current 9.2 to 15%..

The new set of regulations will cap importation of used cars from 8 years to 5 years this July, further to three in 2021, and zero by the year 2024.

The dealers have threatened to move to court to halt implementation of the regulations.

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KEBS used cars importation

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