Argentina Encourages Road Transport T HAT the present taxes on coramereial
Page 53
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
vehicles in this country are extremely high, quite apart from the .extra imposition of the 8d. petrot tax, no one will deny. When it comes to the recommendation, contained in the Salter Committee report, that the taxes on commercial motors should be still further increased, users and makers must begin to wonder why a growing industry should be stifled out of existence, and if it be worth while carrying on I
Rapid and economical transport is one of the essentials for any country desiring prosperity, and, to secure such facilities, good roads and efficient vehicles, which are allowed to run without crippling taxation, are needed. In Argentina the people cannot shout too loudly about the roads, although vast progress has been made during the past 15 years, particularly when one considers that the Republic is comparatively young. Nevertheless the authorities concerned are adopting a sensible and reasonable attitude towards the users of commercial vehicles.
As most business men know, the " slump " in Argentina started in the latter part of 1930 and still continues, but instead of imposing extra taxation upon motor vehicles, the 'Government decided that, if the proprietors of lorries, buses and coaches were to have any hope of carrying on, in view of the general depression, taxes would have to be reduced. A comparison between the rates for 1930 and 1931 may be of interest.
COMMERCIAL-VEHICLE TAXATION.
Class. Weight !Fully Laden) 1930 1931 • 1. Above 12,000 . kilos; ... $400 $300 2. 10,001-12,000 kilos. ... $300 S200 3. 8,001-10.000 ki1os. $130 $120 4, 6,001-8,000 ... $100 880 5. 4,001-6,000 kilos, ... $50 No change. 6. 2,001-4,000 ... $40 No change.
7. Motor hearses ... ... $60 $30
The Argentine paper dollar is-worth is. 9fi. at par, its value to-day being about 1s. 4d., but, taking the par value, it must be admitted that the tax on lorries is not high, even under the 1930
scale. It is not to be wondered at that lorry manufacturers in several countries are extremely interested in this market.