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Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
THE Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has proposed a downward review of number plate costs from $160 to $125 each.
The downward review proposal also includes replacement costs for damaged and lost number plates.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Deputy Minister Engineer Michael Madanha told Parliament this week that his Ministry was having talks with the Ministry of Finance on the matter.
“These number plates are imported and we have considered as a Ministry that there should be a downward review because most of our stakeholders are actually yearning for the reduction of the cost of the number plates and we are definitely going to reduce the cost.
“My Ministry in consultation with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development is more than prepared to make some concessionary reductions,” said Eng Madanha.
He said they already have a draft proposal paper on the need to reduce costs.
“In that draft paper, we see opportunities to reduce the user fee charge for motor vehicle number plates to $125 and that of trailers to $105.
We are also considering a reduction in the replacement cost for a damaged or lost number plate in respect of number plates for public service vehicles and private vehicles from the current $160 and $140 to $90 and $75 respectively,” said Eng Madanha.
“It is our considered view that the proposed downward review in number plate user charges will contribute in a small way towards Government policy on the ease of doing business,” he said.
“The material used in making motor vehicle plates is high quality aluminium. In addition, the Zimbabwe motor vehicle number plates unlike the majority that are found in the region, are embedded with a number of security features in order to avert the problem of use of clone number plates by criminals and other such persons who may choose not to comply with vehicle registration legislation.”
Responding to a question on why his Ministry insists on new number plates instead of reverting to the old or original number plate in the event that a number plate is lost, Eng Madanha said it was due to the security features the number plates had.
“This is mainly due to the fact that a number plate is just like a passport and it has got security features.
“We would like to say that when you lose one number plate, definitely you have to apply for a new set of number plates because of the security features that are there.
“It is a security embedded number plate. So, we definitely have to get a new set of number plates,” he said.
@AuxiliaK
Online Reporter