The Lithuanian Environment Ministry proposes to scrap the existing one-off vehicle registration levy and instead introduce an annual car pollution tax.
The Environment Ministry says 54% of car owners in the country will have to pay up to 100 euros in the annual pollution tax that will be phased in until 2025.
The ministry earlier planned to change the current registration tax and introduce a new user tax.
“After public consultations with the public and ministries, we decided that a single tax will meet the same objectives: to encourage motorists to choose less polluting, more fuel-efficient vehicles,” Deputy Environment Minister Gintare Krusniene said.
The car pollution tax would be calculated according to CO2 emissions.
The new tax is to be introduced on January 1, 2023. However, all owners of cars subject to the levy will pay only half of it until the end of 2024. (LRT/Business World Magazine)