More imported wrecks seized

More imported wrecks seized

By Aye Nyein Win   |   Monday, 24 June 2013

A second investigation into the import and sale of cosmetically repaired automobile wrecks has failed to put much of a dent in the crime, a car showroom owner said last week.

Farmer Auto owner U Soe Htun said the latest crackdown netted 42 suspect vehicles, only seven of which were seized from registered import firms. The rest were taken from private importers. "Importers found to be breaking the law were punished," he said. "Private importers were found to have the most badly damaged cars, but they are more difficult to punish because they sometimes operate through other people's import licences," he said.

"The government's punishments seem to have little effect," he added.

Current import regulations allow anyone with a national registration card to import a single vehicle. U Soe Htun said some businesspeople are buying import licences from card holders.

"I have heard that this costs about K50,000," he said.

The government has seized a total of 69 vehicles and is investigating another 60, officials said.

A Customs Department official said cars can only exit ports after they have been thoroughly checked.

He said the 69 vehicles seized had all been at the port and that thousands more would be examined. "I can't even guess how many damaged vehicles we will find," he added.

However, spokespersons for several car-import companies urged the government to impose heavy penalties on law breakers rather than imposing regulations that impede trade.

"We welcome government action against people importing damaged vehicles because we can't compete against people like that," said Ko Ye, a spokesperson for one import agency.

"They buy badly damaged cars and repair them cheaply at a cost far below the price of an undamaged import. But cars are sometimes damaged in transit so we are asking the government to carefully define what they mean by 'damaged'," he said.

"I have seen two of our cars damaged in shipping accidents, and it is also hard for us to judge the condition of cars from auction websites."

Importer Ko Zaw Zaw said the government had a track record of auctioning illegally imported cars and urged that it an end this practice.

Damaged cars should be scrapped, he said.

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/06/26/more-imported-wrecks-seized/