미얀마 자동차 수입 왼쪽 핸들만

방콕포스트의 기사 내용이다. 내년에는 미얀마에 왼쪽핸들 차량만 수입이 가능할 예정이다.

그동안 오른쪽 핸들 차량을 혼용하며 추월들에서 많은 사고가 발행을 하여 버스는 왼쪽 핸들만 수입을 허용을 하였으나 내년부터는 모든 차량은 왼쪽핸들만 수입이 가능해 진다.

그 동안의 수입은 오른쪽 핸들의 일본중고차가 대부분이었으나 한국중고차의 미얀마 시장진출의 호기를 맞이하고 있다.

그동안의 경험으로 미얀마인들이 토요타등 일제차를 선호하는 이유는 내구성과 부품수급의 용이성 때문이었는데 한국 중고차가 시장 판매의 확대를 위해서는 완성중고차 수입과 함께 중고부품의 수입도 필수로 준비하여야 한다.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asean/1164253/myanmar-suspends-auto-imports-in-response-to-year-end-rush

YANGON - The Ministry of Commerce has suspended almost all car imports in response to a surge of people eager to purchase soon-to-be-restricted models in the hope of selling them at inflated prices next year, Union Minister Than Myint said.

A new car import policy for 2017, released on Nov 30, will restrict imports to newer left-hand drive models. People exchanging an old car can import a vehicle for personal use manufactured as far back as 2011, while those without a trade can buy only cars made in 2015 or later.

People importing trucks, buses and other passenger vehicles are able to bring in older models, but all vehicles of every kind must be left-hand drive, The Myanmar Times reported.

The personal import rules brought a mixed  across the auto industry. Some said the restriction will make cars far more expensive, because it ends the practice of buying second-hand vehicles from Japan, which are right-hand drive, and pushes people to buy newer models.

Others said the right-hand drive ban will save lives in Myanmar, where people drive on the right-hand side of the road, and help slowly replace the sea of ageing second-hand cars on the country’s roads.

The new policy has created a clear market opportunity.

Many people are “collecting as many [old right-hand drive] cars as they can before the end of the year,” said Myint Cho, a spokesperson for the Supervisory Committee for Motor Vehicle Importing under the Ministry of Commerce. “As far as I know they are not intending to use them, but are hoping to resell them for as much profit as possible.”

Most of the requests are to import used-cars from Japan, which have flooded Myanmar’s roads in the years since import policy was first loosened. Local buyers have great faith in Japanese quality, and appreciate the cheap sticker price.

One car importer, who asked not to be named, said the new policy had created a thriving black market for citizens to rent out their national ID to people wanting to apply for as many import permits as possible.

Amid the resulting rush of applications, the ministry was forced to announce, on Dec 13, that would-be importers must apply under their own names, and not use other people’s identity cards.

But with applications continuing to surge the ministry decided to yesterday to suspend almost all imports until the new restrictions come into force on January 1.

Imports to Yangon – by far the largest car market in the country – have been frozen completely. Importers in Nay Pyi Taw can still ship in cars under the old policy, but they must have already opened a bank account for the purpose.

Anyone wanting to import a car from abroad needs an account at one of Myanmar’s state-owned banks, and Than Myint said the ministry had requested that the government stop any new accounts being opened for car imports.

“If people already have the bank account, they can apply [to import] left and right-hand drive cars until Dec  23,” he said. “After that all importers must only import left-hand drives.

The main reason the ministry instituted the ban early was to stop the import rush from weakening the kyat any further against the dollar, he said. All car imports are dollar denominated, so the import flurry meant a jump in demand for dollars in the local economy, with the kyat already close to record lows against the US currency.

“The second reason is that many people are misusing [this policy change],” he said. “Dealers are applying use other people’s identity cards and bad people are trying manipulate the car market, so that’s why we [made] the suspension.”

The Ministry of Commerce has been planning to restrict right-hand drive for months in order to improve road safety and reduce accidents, although many people say that in rural areas old right-hand cars will still be a vital resource. Than Myint said that getting the policy right was no easy task.

“We’ve limited import permits to help control the dollar exchange rate, but there are so many other complicated factors – the country’s financial situation, the car market, road safety, the mix of old and new cars. It’s difficult to manage.”

Allan Davidson, general manager of Yoma Fleet, said that in addition to the safety issues around right-hand drive cars, sustaining an old second-hand fleet of cars was difficult “due to poor reliability and excessive spare parts consumption.”