The long-awaited Electric Vehicle Mobility Policy is expected to be a reality by the end of this month, with a 10 per cent duty to be charged on the value of the imported vehicle being among the guidelines that will be in place.
Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Daryl Vaz said Cabinet signed off the policy on Monday, bringing an end to the months-long delay.
Vaz admitted that since his tabling of the policy, it had been awaiting the requisite fiscal support from the Ministry of Finance.
“It now has to go to the CPC (Chief Parliamentary Counsel), which hopefully we will get that done in a matter of a few weeks but the Electric Vehicle Mobility Policy will be coming into effect by the end of this month,” Vaz declared.
His comments came during today’s launch of the annual Road Safety Awareness Month hosted jointly by the Jamaica Gasolene Retailers Association and Future Energy Source Company (FESCO) Limited at the Fesco Service Station on Beechwood Avenue in St Andrew.
The policy will pave the way for consumers who want to buy electric vehicles by going the route of a dealer or importing the vehicles directly from an overseas supplier.
Vaz went on to point out that the private sector had taken the lead by establishing electric vehicle charging stations across Jamaica.
He said that one of the sticking points had been the need to provide incentives for people who were interested in buying electric vehicles, based on the much higher cost.
“Therefore, if you have the same duty on a more expensive vehicle, then you don’t get the value for what you are trying to do, which is to stay with the moving technology [which is] to go to electric vehicles. So we will go to CPC, we will have a concessionary rate of 10 per cent and so as not to make Jamaica a dumping ground, we will put an age limit of three years,” Vaz said.
“Once CPC has completed [the work] then we will make a formal statement.”
He also disclosed that the government had thought about putting a limit on the number of vehicles to be imported during the first year of the policy but during the review process the finance ministry had vetoed the idea.
“So the bottom line is that nobody has to rush to say ‘oh, there is a quota.’ Everybody can take their time and based on the affordability etcetera, you transition over time to what is happening.”
The long-awaited Electric Vehicle Mobility Policy is expected to be a reality by the end of this month, with a 10 per cent duty to be charged on the value of the imported vehicle being among the guidelines that will be in place.
Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Daryl Vaz said Cabinet signed off the policy on Monday, bringing an end to the months-long delay.
Vaz admitted that since his tabling of the policy, it had been awaiting the requisite fiscal support from the Ministry of Finance.
“It now has to go to the CPC (Chief Parliamentary Counsel), which hopefully we will get that done in a matter of a few weeks but the Electric Vehicle Mobility Policy will be coming into effect by the end of this month,” Vaz declared.
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His comments came during today’s launch of the annual Road Safety Awareness Month hosted jointly by the Jamaica Gasolene Retailers Association and Future Energy Source Company (FESCO) Limited at the Fesco Service Station on Beechwood Avenue in St Andrew.
The policy will pave the way for consumers who want to buy electric vehicles by going the route of a dealer or importing the vehicles directly from an overseas supplier.
Vaz went on to point out that the private sector had taken the lead by establishing electric vehicle charging stations across Jamaica.
He said that one of the sticking points had been the need to provide incentives for people who were interested in buying electric vehicles, based on the much higher cost.
“Therefore, if you have the same duty on a more expensive vehicle, then you don’t get the value for what you are trying to do, which is to stay with the moving technology [which is] to go to electric vehicles. So we will go to CPC, we will have a concessionary rate of 10 per cent and so as not to make Jamaica a dumping ground, we will put an age limit of three years,” Vaz said.
“Once CPC has completed [the work] then we will make a formal statement.”
He also disclosed that the government had thought about putting a limit on the number of vehicles to be imported during the first year of the policy but during the review process the finance ministry had vetoed the idea.
“So the bottom line is that nobody has to rush to say ‘oh, there is a quota.’ Everybody can take their time and based on the affordability etcetera, you transition over time to what is happening.”
