KEY POINTS:
APIA, Samoa - The New Zealand Minister of Transport Safety has expressed his doubts about the benefits of Samoa importing vehicles from New Zealand.
His comments come amid the controversial Right Hand Drive Bill proposed by Samoan Government in October last year.
The RHD bill proposes to switch the current road code from driving on the right hand side of the road to the left hand side, like that of New Zealand and Australia.
The previous ban on the importation of right hand drive vehicles was lifted in February signalling the seriousness of the Governments proposal to switch sides.
The bill has already been through the second reading in Parliament.
According to the Prime Minister Hon. Tuilaepa Sailele Lupesoliai Malielegaoi the main reason for the proposed switch is so that Samoan families in New Zealand can send home cars which are cheaper in New Zealand.
This, according to him, makes the ownership of vehicles accessible to rural families in Samoa and low income earners who depend on remittances.
However in an interview in Samoa with Hon. Harry Duynhoven the NZ Minister of Transport Safety he said he sees no reason why Samoa would want to import second hand vehicles from New Zealand.
"I don't want to pretend to tell Samoa what is should do but if the issue was about buying vehicles at a decent price, one of the things I would not do is embark on a wholesale importation of used vehicles, because all that does is gives you a whole lot of used vehicles coming into the country of dubious quality, and there will be vehicle sellers who will argue with that," Duynhoven said.
The Minister went on to say that Samoa would become a dumping ground for second hand used vehicles in New Zealand if the borders were to allow it.
"Over half of the vehicles on New Zealand roads are already used imported from Japan. So half of your vehicles on average would be imported used from New Zealand that have already been imported used from Japan. Why would you do that?" he asked.
Told that there is a limit on the age of imported right hand drive vehicles, Duynhoven said there are many ways that second hand car sales can misrepresent the age and value of a vehicle.
"Either, the audiometers are wound back, they are not the year they purport to be, they've had some modification or they are not the model they purport to be or they've been poorly repaired after a crash etc," he said.
According to Duynhoven all of these things were happening in NZ over the last 20 years since such vehicles were imported.
The major impacts of importing poor quality vehicles and fraudulent prices include depreciation and updated technology.
According to him, because New Zealand imported a lot of these second hand vehicles from Japan, it meant that they have amongst the highest depreciation in the world.
"Those who suffer are the people who bought used imported vehicles, who owe more than the vehicle is worth, so there is a big mark up on the vehicle," he said.
"We in New Zealand have seen used vehicles out of Japan, quite a lot of people are getting hit with a high depreciation value," Duynhoven said.
Another negative factor in the importation of second hand vehicles is the technology of a vehicle.
"The other thing you're getting is old technology, and so in terms of efficiency like fuel efficiency, emissions and performance, you are buying a vehicle which is already a generation old, so why would you do that?" he said.
Duynhovens solution is buying a new vehicle in a limited range of makes and models, out of a particular country or two with models which are up to date rather than buying a second hand car at six or seven years old.
"The Japanese cars it comes at very very good value for the person importing them, when they are seven years old, so that's the natural time when the Japanese want to sell the vehicles from somewhere else," said.
According to the Minister many of the vehicles exported to New Zealand were on their way to be scrapped in Japan, "but they still look beautiful, there are no stone chips but they've often done a 150,000 kilometers," he said.
"So why would you buy a vehicle that is half worn out, even if it looks like new? That is how the fraud works," Duynhoven said.
It is easy however to fall for vehicles presented in fraudulent manner especially in Samoa, as the Minister suggests that many buyers would compare cars at face value and not necessarily for its genuine component.
Asked about his opinion on the plans by Samoa to switch he said: "That's a decision obviously for your Government as to which side of the road you drive on but if its about bringing in vehicles which are cheaper for the country, then maybe you look at changing to the other side of the road anyway and bring the vehicles directly from Japan, new or used."
He warned that Samoans have to be very weary about what we buy especially if it does not have a full service history.
"If it doesn't, don't touch it," he said frankly.
"Every time you ship a car you add to its cost and not to its value.
There must be value based decision on whether you bring in an old car or a new car," Duynhoven added to clarify his point.
Asked if the allowance of RHD importation from New Zealand will affect New Zealand in any way he said: "I don't think it will have much of an impact on us, the benefit for us of course, we may have some benefit in being able to export vehicles that would otherwise be a disposal problem in New Zealand. I don't know how big an issue that is."
Asked how New Zealand would go about making such a major decision on road code, he said: "It would be quite a long decision, we would have to go through a long process of extensive consultations."
Asked if he thinks Samoa should change sides he said: "I can't give you an answer to that, I am not fully informed, what I would say is, it would be an issue that would require a lot of public input and I am sure your Ministers have considered very very thoroughly."
- Newsline Samoa Newspaper
