Transport ministry brings hope to VAMA
By Quoc Hung - The Saigon Times Daily
HCMC – The Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA) has expressed an optimistic view on the auto market after receiving a reply from the Ministry of Transport concerning the personal vehicle restriction fee.
The written reply said it would take a couple of years to conduct consultations before the fee scheme could go ahead.
In response to Document 3212 of VAMA seeking a working session with Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang, Document 5299/BGTVT-TC of the ministry said the ministry had executed the Government’s directive in preparing the scheme on traffic fees.
The reply signed by Deputy Transport Minister Le Manh Hung last Friday stated the ministry had assigned the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam and the Transport Development & Strategy Institute to further study and perfect the scheme.
The ministry said collecting such a fee could not work without citizens’ consent.
VAMA said this is an optimistic signal from the Government and the Ministry of Transport.
VAMA’s dismal forecasts for auto consumption this year at below 100,000 units would be revised. Earlier, based on poor sales early this year, VAMA predicted the total auto sales volume nationwide would only reach 80,000 units by the year-end, considerably lower than the previous years.
The proposed personal vehicle restriction and downtown entrance fees have been accused of causing the auto sales slump.
VAMA on Tuesday said that its members had sold over 6,500 vehicles last month, dropping 4.6% against May and 43% over the same period last year.
Jan-Jun auto sales plunged 41% over the year-ago period, in which car consumption slid 47% and truck sales went down 30%.