ISLAMABAD - While expressing concerns over the rising prices of automobiles in the country, a parliamentary committee on Thursday has decided to call Federal Minister for Industries and Production and representatives of automobile manufacturers in next meeting to explain the reasons of higher prices.
Senate standing committee on Industries and Production, which met under the chair of Senator Ahmad Khan, has discussed the issue of rising cars prices in the country. The committee members have noted that automobile companies are increasing the prices without brining any improvement or additional facilities in the vehicles. They said that people could not think to buy new cars due to their higher prices.
The committee noted that companies are increasing the prices at their own. They noted that companies always increased the prices of cars by making the excuse of increasing dollar value and government’s taxes. Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi said that there is no authority in the country, which could control the vehicles prices. He said that automobile manufacturers had not taken any measures for local production of the cars, which are made by importing their spare parts from other countries. Quoting the report of Competition Commission of Pakistan, he said that automobiles had received more than Rs6,000 billion from the consumers in Pakistan. He said that prices of cars are almost double in Pakistan as compared to India and Bangladesh.
Committee chairman said that automobile manufacturers are importing spare parts from other countries despite there are many production plants in the country. He said that other countries are producing e-electric vehicle and we could not establish plan for hybrid cars.
Senator Asif Kirmani said that, cars prices are very high in the country. A car price in Pakistan is around Rs4 million, which should be around 1 million rupees. The companies are looting people by charging higher prices. He said that government should ban local manufacturing of Toyota companies, as it is not producing standard vehicles in the country despite higher prices. The local assembled cars have lost their quality in three to four years.
Later, the committee has decided to call Federal Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar and representatives of cars manufacturing companies in next meeting to explain the reasons of higher prices and other related issues. The committee has sought explanations in terms of standard of cars, imported spare parts, profits of the companies, facilities provided in vehicles and others from the government and cars manufacturing companies. Representatives of Toyota company informed the committee that they assemble the cars by importing its engine and transmission. He said that government of Pakistan is charging higher taxes from the automobile companies.