Increase of import fees on cars postponed?

Head of the Russian government Mikhail Kasyanov believes that increase of import fees on foreign cars "is only necessary if Russia produces its own cars that will be able to compete with foreign ones." The Prime Minister made this statement during his visit to a plant, producing large-capacity automobiles "KamAZ" in "Naberezhnye Chelny (on the Kama river - the left tributary of the Volga river).

Import fees are only one of possible mechanisms that aims at reforming Russian car and truck construction sector, said Kasyanov. He believes the fee question may only be discussed in detail if Russia works out serious projects concerning licensed automobiles production in Russia.

Kasyanov pointed that the issue concerning higher fees on foreign cars was discussed in the context of foreign investment projects. Speaking about applying the same measures to used cars, we should take into consideration "an ecology factor", Kasyanov stressed.