Nezavisne novine: Even though BiH should, according to certain announcements, by October this year, abolish the veto on import of vehicles older than seven years, and freight vehicles and buses older than ten years, the problem will, however, represent the introduction of the technical inspection system at the state level.
In the Ministry of External Market and Economic Relations of BiH, they say that BiH is obligated to abolish these restrictions on import of vehicles because the CEFTA does not allow any kind of restrictions except for some exceptional cases, when there is a danger that it might come to the threat for health of people, animals or environment.
They remind that since the BiH market, before the regulation of the Council of Ministers of BiH since 2000 has been overwhelmed by old vehicles from the EU, it is necessary that the regulation gets adopted this year as well, and limits the import of used vehicles rejected by economically improved countries.
Prices at vehicle-market
At the vehicle-market in Banja Luka, for a purchase of a vehicle “younger” than seven years, we were supposed to allocate from 8.000 KM, as much the FIAT Punto was in 2003, to 35.000 KM for Audi A6 from 2004. Opel Astra produced in 2005 was around 16.000 KM, while Peugeot 206 from 2004 – around 13.000 KM. Vehicle sellers from the vehicle-market and from several car-houses, which deal with selling of used vehicles, think that after abolishing the veto on import of vehicles older than seven years will not necessarily change the prices, because they are almost the same as in developed countries. "People, who after abolishing the veto decide to import from the EU, a vehicle will cost almost the same, because they will, again, have to pay many taxes, plus their efforts and time", has been said in one of the car-houses.
In the Ministry of External Market and Economic Relations they state that BiH has in 2000 used its right which was allowing it restrictions of quantitative import of commodities, but that by signing the CEFTA, the things have been changed and recommendations of the EU are that such veto should be abolished.
While BiH citizens hardly wait for the import of older vehicles to be allowed, competent authorities have different opinions if that will be reachable in several months.
Dragiša Mekić, Deputy Minister of External Market and Economic Relations of BiH, says that the deadline for abolishing this veto is in October, and that our country, besides others, should introduce the technical inspection system, in order to disable the possibility of import of vehicles, buses and freight vehicles, which do not satisfy ecological and safety standards.
Enver Muratović, chief of the Department for External-Trade Policy and Foreign Investments, however, points out, that it is not realistic to expect that the veto of import of vehicles older than seven years gets abolished by October, because the technical inspection system must be introduced before it at the level of BiH, which will, according to him, represent a problem.
"The problem is to sit down and agree around the technical inspection of vehicles, which is very hard in BiH, when considering our constitutional structure", Muratović has said.
He points out that after abolishing the veto on import of vehicles older than seven years, there will be the standards, which will not allow the import of vehicles, which do not satisfy the safety or ecological standards.
"Those standards would evaluate and confirm if the vehicle or some part of it, or equipment, suits the requirements and directives of the EU and if they can be used on our market", Muratović has explained.
In the Ministry of External Market and Economic Relations they say that it is necessary to apply this system on domestic, as well on foreign vehicles.
"There must be a realistic approach for that and all imported vehicles would have to have a certificate of technical inspection, which would be issued by competent institutions, and otherwise the import would not be possible", has been said in this ministry.
One citizen from Banja Luka, whom we have met yesterday at vehicle-market, thinks that the exact deadline should finally be précised, so the veto can become a past.
"Then, I would wait and buy a used vehicle later. Because, it is not the same to buy a ten years old vehicle, which has been used in our traffic and the one from the West. Their vehicles are being maintained in an excellent way, and their roads are incomparably better. If a deadline for abolishing the veto is October, I would wait and make a purchase later", he has said.