Microbus import tariff to be cut to discourage 'human haulers'

Public transport had remained suspended for long because of Covid-19 restrictions. As a result, microbus had apparently become public transport since home-bound people used it as their main mode of travel. Now the government is going to recognise the microbus as public transport, reports UNB.

On Thursday, finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal proposed to reduce tariffs on microbus imports to discourage the use of accident-prone vehicles like nasimon, laguna (locally-made human hauler) and encourage the use of microbuses as an alternative public transport.

Mustafa Kamal made the proposal while presenting a Tk 6.03 trillion (603,681 crore) national budget in parliament for the 2021-22 fiscal year on Thursday afternoon.

He also proposed to restructure the tariffs on imports of hybrid vehicles to encourage the use of environment friendly hybrid vehicles.

Mustafa Kamal said, “Moped is a fuel-efficient motorcycle. It plays an important role in the economic activities of small traders and the public. In order to ensure affordable price, I propose to reduce the tariff rate of Moped.”

Moped is a light motorcycle with an engine capacity of not more than 50 cc.

He said, “For the development of motorcycle manufacturing or assembling industry, I propose to bring necessary adjustments and also to include some raw materials in the existing SRO (statutory regulatory order).”

“To protect the dumper or tipper assembling industry, I propose to reduce the tariff on import of dumper or tipper in CKD (completely knocked down) condition,” the minister added.