'Abolishing excise duty won't guarantee lower car price'

PARLIAMENT Abolishing the excise duty for imported cars would not guarantee a reduction on car prices, Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Hamim Samuri told the Dewan Rakyat today.

Hamim (left) said that even if the excise duty was abolished, car manufacturers could still decide whether to reduce or maintain the current car prices.

“Also, the reduction of car prices should not be done drastically,” he said during question time, in response to a question from Chua Tee Yong (BN-Labis) as to when the government will reduce car prices as promised in its election manifesto.

Hamim said that the car prices will only be reduced gradually over five years, and stressed that the government had no intention to abolish excise duty.

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