Auto industry seeks gov't clamp-down on used car sales

The Polish automotive industry is counting on the government to take firm measures to stop the decline of new car sales. The first step should be limiting imports of used cars, claim sector representatives such as the Automotive Employers Union (ZPM) or trade unions at Daewoo. They propose introduction of a special excise tax on used car imports as well as special permits to be issued by the Economy Ministry. Car sales had been steadily rising in Poland until the end of 1999. However, in the first 11 months of 2000, 21% fewer cars were sold than in the respective period of 1999. Experts predict that the slump could continue this year. "I believe that car sales could drop another 5% in 2001 and be even lower than in 1997," said Czeslaw Swistak, member of the Fiat Auto Poland managing board. (Puls Biznesu, p.12) T.J.