Subic slaps $100 fee on imports of vehicles
By Elaine Ruzul S. Ramos - Manila Standard Today
The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority has imposed a $100 import permit fee for locators who are bringing in used vehicles and equipment into the free port.
SBMA administrator and chief executive officer Armand Arreza said the fee, imposed since October last year, had served as deterrent to importers of used vehicles.
He said the imposition of the new import permit was also expected to dampen the flourishing secondary market for imported used, right-hand-drive vehicles.
“The SBMA is allowed to impose reasonable fees. So far, we have generated P11 million from the issuance of import permits during the last quarter of 2005,” said Arreza.
He said the imposition of the new fee had led to a slowdown in the issuance of import permits, which essentially allows locators to bring in used vehicles and equipment. The import permit earlier was issued free of charge so there was hardly any limit to the number of permits that could be issued to an entity.
The SBMA issued a total of 2,200 import permits for both used vehicle and equipment in the last quarter of 2005 when the fee was first imposed,
“No import permit was issued from June 2004 up to October 2005, but when we (the new SBMA administration) came in, 3,300 import permits were left pending, meaning they were already approved by the SBMA but are still unutilized.”
He said the issuance of import permits were market-driven but the SBMA was more circumspect in allowing locators to bring in used vehicles.
Arreza said the SBMA also checks the size of the yard of the importing locator, on whether or not the yard can accommodate the number of vehicles being imported. The administration also checks the sales receipts of the importers to ensure the vehicles are not brought outside the Freeport.
To be able to import used vehicles, an importer must be a bona fide locator in the free port. So far, there are 59 registered importers of used vehicles in Subic Bay but some have been inactive for some time.
The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority has imposed a $100 import permit fee for locators who are bringing in used vehicles and equipment into the free port.
SBMA administrator and chief executive officer Armand Arreza said the fee, imposed since October last year, had served as deterrent to importers of used vehicles.
He said the imposition of the new import permit was also expected to dampen the flourishing secondary market for imported used, right-hand-drive vehicles.
“The SBMA is allowed to impose reasonable fees. So far, we have generated P11 million from the issuance of import permits during the last quarter of 2005,” said Arreza.
He said the imposition of the new fee had led to a slowdown in the issuance of import permits, which essentially allows locators to bring in used vehicles and equipment. The import permit earlier was issued free of charge so there was hardly any limit to the number of permits that could be issued to an entity.
The SBMA issued a total of 2,200 import permits for both used vehicle and equipment in the last quarter of 2005 when the fee was first imposed,
“No import permit was issued from June 2004 up to October 2005, but when we (the new SBMA administration) came in, 3,300 import permits were left pending, meaning they were already approved by the SBMA but are still unutilized.”
He said the issuance of import permits were market-driven but the SBMA was more circumspect in allowing locators to bring in used vehicles.
Arreza said the SBMA also checks the size of the yard of the importing locator, on whether or not the yard can accommodate the number of vehicles being imported. The administration also checks the sales receipts of the importers to ensure the vehicles are not brought outside the Freeport.
To be able to import used vehicles, an importer must be a bona fide locator in the free port. So far, there are 59 registered importers of used vehicles in Subic Bay but some have been inactive for some time.
posted by OlongapoCity Zambales at
7:23 AM
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