Iran's decision to release imported autos needs to be reviewed

TEHRAN, Iran, Feb.17

Trend:

Iran's decision to release imported autos from customs needs to be reviewed, said secretary general of Iranian Automobile Importers Association.

Mehdi Dadfar has discussed the issue of imported autos that are held at the customs and awaiting to be released in an interview with Trend.

"The recent instruction about depot of imported autos is not cohesive and would not solve the car owners' problem, so it will not be implemented," Dadfar said.

"In past two and half years, the auto registration website has been shut down, and no vehicles have been registered at the customs yet. The recent instruction states that the release of imported vehicles requires warehouse and custom registration receipts, while previously individuals could release their imported cars by declaring one of them," the secretary general added.

"The issue with the new instruction is that by the time the new regulation announced, some purchased vehicles were on their way to the customs; therefore, the cars should remain at customs until owners can apply to follow the obligations," Dadfar said adding that out of 5,000 remaining vehicles at the customs, only 1,600 imported cars have been released according to the instruction to the owners with receipts of warehouse and online registration.

"The association has been consulting to reform the new regulation since past two years," he said.

"Unfortunately, after two years, still several thousand vehicles have been held at the customs; delay in the release of imported cars were due to lack of coordination between officials of Central Bank of Iran and Ministry of Industry Mine and Trade," the official added.

Iran's Custom Administration has issued instruction to resolve the issue of imported cars that piled up at the customs.