The Transport Ministry of Belarus has prepared a bill in the form of a presidential ordinance to create a favorable regulatory environment so that trucking companies could upgrade their fleet to Euro 6 emissions standards, the ministry reported.
To encourage trucking companies to purchase foreign-made trucks meeting Euro 6 emissions standards (or higher), if no similar trucks are produced in Belarus, the ministry suggests letting VAT-free imports of trucks by Belarus-based companies, provided the trucks meet Euro 6 emissions standards (or higher) and have been produced not more than 12 months before the date of import. The ministry also suggests reducing the recycling fee for trucks like that by introducing 0.3 quotients to the base rate.
As a result of those measures, trucking companies will be able to reduce their truck purchase expenditures by an estimated 28% and offer competitive tariffs for their services. Moreover, with Euro 6 trucks, Belarusian trucking companies will end up paying lower road toll fees abroad.
Owing to the deficit of turnover assets, Belarusian companies have been experiencing difficulties renewing their truck fleet over the last two years: the renewal rate has reduced from 10-15% to 2% a year. As a result of this, the share of new trucks (up to 3 years since production date) has dropped to 13% from 42% in 2013. (Prime-TASS/Business World Magazine)