Call for abolition of customs duty on import of electric cars

(Patria) - The Foreign Trade Committee of the state parliament supported the initiative obliging the Council of Ministers of BiH to adopt a Decision suspending the customs duty on the import of electric cars and significantly reducing the customs duty on the import of hybrid cars within 15 days.

The initiative was submitted by MP Edita Đapo of the Alliance for a Better Future (SBB), MP Saša Magazinović of the Social Democratic Party (SDAP), and MP Jasmin Emrić of A-SDA, it was announced by the Public Relations Sector of the PSBiH.

As stated in the initiative, decarbonization is one of the key pillars of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, which is why it is necessary for the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina to show that they are aware of this and are taking concrete action towards fulfilling their commitments.

"One of the activities in this direction is the adoption of incentive measures to encourage citizens to opt for the purchase of electric and hybrid cars. By adopting a Decision that would completely abolish customs duty on electric vehicles and significantly reduce it on hybrid vehicles, the Council of Ministers of BiH would stimulate and motivate the public and private sectors, as well as citizens, to purchase and import these types of cars, from which BiH would benefit in multiple ways, primarily in terms of reducing air pollution and protecting the environment," the proposers note.

In the second half of last year, it was announced in the media that the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH had prepared a Draft Decision on the temporary suspension and temporary reduction of customs duties on the import of electric and hybrid cars.

It was explained at the time that the abolition of customs duty on the import of electric cars was envisaged, as well as a reduction of customs duty for the import of hybrid cars from 15 to five percent, but the Council of Ministers never adopted that decision.

The parliamentary initiative to suspend the customs duty on the import of electric cars and significantly reduce the customs duty on the import of hybrid cars will also be on the agenda of the House of Representatives of the PSBiH, scheduled for tomorrow, June 7.