Herat auto dealers want black market sales stopped

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Although the authorities have banned selling vehicles in “Friday and Sunday bazaars” in western Herat province, still unregistered and right hand drive vehicles are being sold in the black street market, legal auto sellers said on Saturday.

Haji Mohammad Aref, a car seller in Pul-i-Pashto area in Herat city, their business remained bearish since last since three or four months as there was no buyer and they were ready to even sell their cars at half rate.

He said unplated vehicles were bought in Nimroz and Farah provinces and sold in the black market in Herat City, which had badly affected their business.

He added: “We want the government to prevent ordinary people from importing right hand drive vehicles from Wesh Port to the markets of Herat province, they sell such vehicles without taking any responsibility or paying tax to the government”.

Mullah Ahmad, another seller, said their sales had drastically plunged. He urged the government to extend the registration period for right hand drive vehicles as thousands of such vehicles were yet to be registered.

He said they paid taxes to the government and rents of showrooms and those involved in sales of illegal vehicles should be prosecuted.

The car dealers asked the traffic police to prevent deals in the black market and take practical steps in support of legal vehicles’ dealers in Herat province.

Mohammad Ismael Aadil, head of vehicles dealers’ union, said they were concerned about the situation. “The black markets (Juma Bazaar and Dushanbe Bazaar) are closed by the Ministry of Interior (MoI), but illegal deals are still made here”.

He asked the traffic police to register all vehicles: “We ask the traffic police department of Herat not to accept any other document without legal documents”.

Ghazi Zabihullah Akbari, the Traffic Police Department head, said the black markets had been closed over illegal activities such as chassis number forgeries and security officials had since impounded 70 of such illegal vehicles.

He said the traffic police department accepted a vehicle’s original receipt for further paper work and registration and without such document, it was not possible to register a vehicle. “Now as the registration process is legalized, such people will not be given a chance to register such illegal vehicles.”

aw/ma