The government of Bangladesh plans to implement new regulations on the import of used and reconditioned vehicles. According to the new rules, dealers would be allowed to import only passenger cars that are no more than 3 years old. The current vehicle age limit for importing a used car is of 5 years.
Moreover, the technical inspection of the vehicles would have to be obtained from a private company, JEVIC (Japan Export Vehicle Inspection Centre co ltd.), which standards have become so severe recently that it would be very difficult for Bangladeshi dealers to import cheap but good quality used vehicles. Until now, the technical inspection was carried out by a state owned organization, JAAI (Japan Auto Appraisal Institute), which has been chosen also for inspecting cars exported towards Tanzania and Mauritius. JEVIC has become a major obstacle for importing cheap vehicles in Zambia and in Kenya, as the Inspection Certificate can be refused several times even for minor or esthetic problems.
Fearing disastrous effects on the local car market, the Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (BARVIDA), is asking the government to work on new regulations that would on the contrary promote the imports of cheap but good quality vehicles from Japan. BARVIDA is suggesting the government to authorize the import of up to 6 year old used cars and up to 8 years for vans and microbuses.
