by Linda Straker
- Ban on importation of vehicles exceeding 10 years effective 31 December 2020
- 50% duty and tax concession on importation of electric and hybrid vehicles
- Ban to assist Grenada Solid Waste Management Authority to manage derelict vehicles
Government has delayed the enforcement of a ban on the importation of vehicles exceeding 10 years. At the time of the announcement, the ban was described as a measure aimed at protecting the environment.
“Cabinet has approved the extension on the banning of vehicles over 10 years. We have extended that period and that date will be now 31 December 2020. This was given consideration based on fact that we been going through a Covid period and the fact that this has posed many logistical challenges to many individuals,” Health Minister, Nickolas Steele, disclosed to media in the post-cabinet briefing held on 15 September 2020.
The ban was scheduled to take effect as of 1 July 2020.
Steele said that despite the delay of the environmental protection measure, the Cabinet has approved implementing a 50% duty and tax concession on the importation of electric and hybrid vehicles. “Cabinet has also decided that it will pass legislation that will encourage the importation of electric and hybrid vehicles. It was agreed that electric and hybrid vehicles will receive a 50% concession on all the imports duties and taxes for them based on the CIF.” He confirmed the concession will take effect at the end of September 2020.
A hybrid electric vehicle is a vehicle that combines a conventional internal combustion engine system with an electric propulsion system. The presence of the electric powertrain is intended to achieve either better fuel economy than a conventional vehicle, or better performance.
The plan to restrict the ban on vehicles older than 10 years was announced in the 2020 Budget by Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Dr Keith Mitchell. “The protection of the environment is among the top priorities of the Government of Grenada as it seeks to lower carbon emissions and reduce the burden on the Grenada Solid Waste Management [Authority] to dispose of and manage the growing number of derelict vehicles that are abandoned alongside public roadways or transported to the landfill which is now close to full capacity,” stated a government news release issued in early March before action was taken to control and contain the spread of Covid-19.
Grenada has seen an increase in the importation of vehicles in recent years, with manufacturing dates that exceed 5 years. “While this has realised additional revenue from duties and taxes and downstream businesses in parts and services, policymakers believe its long-term impact on the economy and environment seem to outweigh the immediate benefits,” the release said.
Thank you !!! This guy above is talking total nonsense……. All that is happening now is that increasingly dangerous written off vehicles are being imported as they are more cost effective than buying previously undamaged ones ……
Grenadian governemnt needs to start expanding roads if people want all this garbage coming into the country.
Yea very good. Grenadians dont understand that one mans treasure is another mans garbage. We are taking in foreign garbage that harms and destroys our enviroment. Pollution pollution and pollution it creates. Go in foreign countries and they drive brand new cars on newly built 10 lane highways. So many children get tetinus when playing around all this garbage. This is the problem. Grenada does not have roads for these vehicles. Does the government recycle them?? Do people have money for parts???? Wel then exactly.
Do you really think about what you are writing? First, where do the dealers on the island get most of the vehicles they are overcharging us for. Second, the age of a vehicle does not necessarily reflect the condition of the same vehicle.
Don’t you know that I can have a car that is 10 years old in great condition with 50,000 miles on the odometer while another person can have a car that is 2 years old in terrible condition with 300,000 miles on the odometer?
So having one blanket law is not not going to resolve the so-called environmental issues the government claimed that it is concerned about.
not over charge your just cheap like any other grenadian not willing to pay so much. go in foreign countries and they are much more expensive.
And guess what????? HWEN YOU BUY FOREIGN CARS YOU MAKE THE JAPANESE RICHER AND THEY GIVE YOU GARBAGE. And when you buy local you support local businesses and people. Re educate yourself. You making japanese RICHER and country suffer from garbage. Besides grenada need hotels. We need them.
Despite what you said and others dont hear anyone asking the government to lower the tax on vehicle less than 10 years old and ban does over 10 years .
Black people are so dumb. And I’m not racist. Why only black people like driving garbage. Japan and the usa has been dumping their garbage into africa and the caribbean. And the people are too blind to see that. CANT YOU NOT SEE THE CHEAPLY REDICULOUS PRICE THEY SELL CARS ON BE FORWARD FOR????? They are giving away garbage for free. And it is not about enriching the government or Steele’s ir Huggins but about saving the enviroment. NEWER CARS AND LUXURY HOTELS IS HOW GRENADA WILL BECOME FIRST WORLD DEVELOPED COUNTRY. And those talking about save enviroment by ot cutting down trees for hotels and projects that is completely false. Cars do more harm than deforestation.
Listen grenadians. The purpose of the ban is not to enrich Steele’s or Huggins. White owned businesses. It is about protecting the beautiful pure grenada which we care about. All the japanese do is just export their garbage to poor third world countries making them a wasteland and dump for vehicles. Look at africa. Europe and the usa is just dumping their cars into africa. And it is not right. Grenadians need to wake up and start buying hybrid and electric vehicles. NO ONE CARES ABOUT THE POOR AND NO IT IS NOT ABOUT THE POOR IT IS ABOUT PROTECTING OUR ENVIROMENT. So shut up and buy newer vehicles which are safer for the enviroment.
This government, which claims that it represents Indigenous Grenadians’ interest, needs to do away with this law that is very idiotic, subjective and not well thought out law. It is only intended to enrich Mr. Steel and other car dealers on the island at the expense of us, Indigenous Grenadians.
This is one law that we should and must demonstrate against. Adequate transportation is a necessity, not privilege.
If they care/cared so much about the environment, why did they destroy La Sagesse and Levera? Wake up Indigenous, Grenadians
Yes and you pollute enviroment.The JAPANESE SMILE AND LAUGH AT YOUR STUPIDITY WHEN YOU BUY THEIR GARBAGE. it’s so dumb to demonstrate against something that ca save the enviroment. GRENADA DOES OT HAVE ROADS TO HANDLE THESE VEHICLES built for 10 lane highways and roads. You need to re think to yourself. I support this ban in every single way. We need to wake up and stop foreigners from dumping their garbage and that is the point. At the end of the day grenada is going to become a junkyard for cars. So many abandoned vehicles buy the roadside will be seen in the next 5 years. Go in foreign countries and they drive brand new cars while.they dump their garbage here.
Or better yet…Every individual desirous of purchasing a vehicle should get permission from d police or Physical Planning Unit to certify that they have d available parking space in their yard or somewhere that does not impinge on the smooth flow of traffic. Look at the Springs main road, after the Open Bible church.
On the issue of the derelict vehicles lining the roads throughout the country. The government should utilize a few of the Police/Traffic wardens to put notices on these derelicts asking the owners to remove within 2 weeks. Owners failing to comply should be fined, or the authorities could contract an individual or company with trucks with the crane or hoist to remove at the owners expense.
Government can recover the cost where the owners are hesitant to pay through an arrangement with one of the service providers, GRENLEC or NAWASA. Add it onto their bills. They must pay. Look at a blue truck on the Calivigny main road. It was removed from one location and placed there. Not only disgusting but could be hazardous to the travelling public. These are the habitats for mosquitoes, rats etc that spread all types of diseases. By cleaning up these we will become a cleaner/purer Grenada that we can show off.
No..No.,No!!! Lets get to the real reason. Suppliers of new vehicles on island have complain to the Government about the extremely low sales and turnover of new vehicles on island. not making as much MONEY as before. Therefore, in the absence of any meaningful statistics to identifying the real reason why Grenadians are not purchasing new vehicles, the finger was pointed at ” cheaper & more affordable imported vehicles”. To make this assumption more credible, we then add buzzwords like “protection of the environment & low carbon emission” Why don’t we do that in our large scale tourism developments around the island?
What is more important and should take priority is to remove all these old 1950’s trucks that can barely negotiate an incline without emitting clouds of black diesel smoke into the atmosphere and into the lungs of occupants in vehicles behind, not to mention the general public.
Last but not least. Abandon old vehicles by the roadside including those in individual yard space, gardens etc… obviously not of merchantable quality to it’s owner. Why not create some sort of trade deal to supply scrap metal, and seen that we seem to have a good working relationship with the Chinese, and they are overhear doing business Why not negotiate a deal to free the island of its abandon and unwanted vehicles.
Think they need to start a “one in one out rule” where for every car imported a derelict scrapped vehicle needs to be removed…there are so many of them all around the island making the place look so ugly…
Grenada filling up with cars and roads not getting any wider and even main roads being partially blocked by parked cars ….
Can’t deny peoples right to have a vehicle but more parking spaces needed.