Anisul Islam Noor :
The selling of motorcycle has fallen by 16 percent within a year due to higher price in Bangladesh among the South Asian countries.
Importers and traders say that 100cc motorcycles are selling in the country at $1815 each, compared with $940 in India and $800 in Pakistan. A 150cc motor cycle is selling for Tk 2.18 lakh in Bangladesh, which is Tk 89,000 only in India.
If registration fees and other charges are added, the price is 2.5 times higher in Bangladesh than in India.
The service holders and the small trader choose motorcycles to avert traffic jam when they go to offices and reach children in their schools. But they become frustrated when they go to motorcycles’ show room.
Markets analysts said, the price of motorcycle is higher in Bangladesh than in any other South Asian country.
Executive Director of Karnaphuli Industries Limited Dr Md Shamsul Alam told The New Nation that 5 -7 persons per thousand buy motorcycles in India, contrarily just one man does it in Bangladesh. Situation will improve in Bangladesh if VAT, tax and registration charges become reasonable.
To make motorcycle consumers friendly like the Indians, Pakistanis and nationals of other South Asian countries, “We should be practical in reducing VAT, tax and other expenses,” said Shamsul Alam.
Otherwise both importers of motorcycle of different brands and local manufacturers will be in troubles.
According to National Board of Revenue (NBR), around 2.49 lakh motorcycles were imported in 2009 and 2.50 lakh in 2010, falling to 1.50 lakh in later years. Moreover,
the selling of locally produced and assembling motorcycles are also not hopeful due to inferior quality.
In a research, it has been exposed that imported motorcycles occupy 86 percent of the demand in the local markets, while domestic producers Walton and Runners meet 14 percent of the demand.
Of the imported brand, Bajaj motorcycle is on the top of consumers’ choice, then Tvs, Dayang, Hero, Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha and Mahindra.
According a research, cost of a motorcycle journey is lower compared with other kinds of transports. Cost of bus journey is about Tk two per kilometer and Tk 20 by rickshaw, Tk 40 by Taxi and Tk 1.10 on motorcycle.
Yet, people cannot buy motorcycle as the NBR imposed 129 percent VAT in last fiscal, said M Atiqul Islam, General Manager (Sale) of Tvs Auto Bangladesh.
