Sejm recycling proposal could add zl. 500 to the price of each car

On Tuesday, the Sejm will deal with the next phase of the heated debate over ways of financing the recycling of scrapped cars, the cost of which is likely to be around zl. 200 million for all the years up to 2006. The government proposal assumes that it is car producers and importers who should finance recycling through a system of ecological fees, proportional to the number and quality of the vehicles they sell. "The fees should be higher for second-hand cars," said Cezary Lichodziejewski, president of the Car Recycling Forum Association (FORS). The project is, however, strongly criticized by car importers, as it would mean car prices would increase by around zl. 500 for each new vehicle. "We cannot accept this proposal on business grounds," said Przemyslaw Rajewski, president of the Official Car Importers Association. (Puls Biznesu, p. 9) K.Z.