Car assembly crackdown?

By Maria Bradshaw | Fri, July 13, 2012 - 12:09 AM

A local “automobile manufacturer” will be going to the High Court today to ask for a judicial review of the decision of the Comptroller of Customs not to release imported automobile shells and engine parts to his company.

WEEKEND NATION investigations reveal that since January several people involved in assembling second-hand vehicles have been unable to get the officials at the Bridgetown Port to release vehicle shells and engine parts these “manufacturers” have imported, even though in some cases duties were paid.

A source, who did not want to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the matter, said the “manufacturers” believed that this was an attempt by Government to crack down on the assembly of vehicles that were being sold at far cheaper prices than those at which imported vehicles were being sold for by automobile dealers.

Among these vehicles are luxury high-end ones such as the popular Toyota Rav 4, Range Rovers, Land Rovers and BMWs.

The source pointed out that when imported and assembled, a 2011 Range Rover that would normally be sold for over $500 000 by an auto dealer would cost as low as $200 000.

Please read the full story in today’s WEEKEND NATION, or in the eNATION edition.