DISY MPs urge govt. to drop car prices

DISY MPs Lefteris Christoforou, Maria Kyriakou and Zacharias Zachariou submitted on Monday a “ten-point” proposal for a drop of up to 50% in the price of cars and the abolition of the additional tax on the “extra” car equipment for security reasons.

The DISY MPs urged the government to proceed to a price cut in cars by October or late 2003, stressing that uncertainty may boost profiteering or exploitation.

“We request a drop in the price of cars. The European citizens buy their cars in half the price than Cypriots, while the Cyprus market is currently paralyzed in anticipation of the imminent price cut”, the MPs noted.

The “ten-point” proposal recommends: a) The tax cut must concern cars used by the average Cypriot family, b) the abolition of tax on the “extra” equipment (airbags, ABS, security systems etc), c) a tax cut in second hand cars (up to four years), d) the withdrawal of the old car (more than 10-12 years), e) the rounding of cubic measurement in those categories proposed by the Transport Ministry.

The drop in car prices will contribute to a currency saving from the purchase of spare parts, the full elimination of tax evasion, the revenue saving from the drop in the consumption of vehicles, the increase in road security and the protection of environment, the DISY MPs concluded.