Members of the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) are reportedly giving final shape to their plan of action to curb the government’s anti-industrial policies, including allowing commercial import of 10-year old used vehicles and lowering of import duties on advice of a foreign consultant, Gary Persul.
Industry sources disclosed that the PAMA had almost chalked out a well thought out plan and likely to approach the Ministry of Industries and Production (MoIP). They have decided to hold separate meetings with the president and the prime minister to highlight the issues faced by the domestic engineering sector in the country.
Another auto manufacturer pointed out that PAMA members, car manufactures and auto parts manufacturers had raised their voices alike against the import of five years old used vehicles and provided the government with authentic data to prove that the vehicle rates in Pakistan are in fact lower than many countries, including India and Thailand. He said that car dealers successfully tricked the government and resultantly got relaxation in the age limit of imported used cars and openly abusing the policy.
Now, the car dealers are trying to bring in 10 years old second hand vehicles that are considered junk around the world. These vehicles would increase pollution levels in the country and would burden the consumers in long run due to non-availability of parts and local capacity for after sales service, he added.
He underlined that domestic car manufacturers were not only battling the fight for their survival but they were also trying their best to protect the local auto-vending base from the adverse impacts of the government’s decision to allow the import of ten year old used vehicles. He said that existing investment in Pakistan is already under great threat and the investors may seek relocations of their plants. The hostile policies of the government will not attract any new investor in the country despite driving away the potential investors, he maintained.