Excise Fees for Hybrid and Electric Cars to Increase in Georgia
By Tea Mariamidze
Thursday, April 4
Majority MP Nino Tsilosani presented the draft law to the parliament. According to the proposed project, the amendment will be made according to Article 188 of the Tax Code, which sets differential tax benefits for the right-hand and left-hand hybrid vehicles.
In case of changes are adopted, the excise rate will be reduced by up to 20%, instead of the existing 60% for the hybrid cars.
Under the changes, the excise tax will increase for the electric cars too. According to Nino Tsilosani, the excise rate of the right-handed electric cars will be determined according to the age of the car.
“According to our primitive research, for example, if the electric car of 2012 costs GEL 14,000, under our new regulations the price will be increased to about GEL 17,000, which in some cases will promote import of left-handed electric and hybrid cars,” the MP said.
The author of the draft has called on the parliamentarians to support her project, adding it will step up the road safety in Georgia.
In late autumn 2018, Georgian Prime Minister, Mamuka Bakhtadze stated the government will encourage people to buy and use electric vehicles. Bakhtadze announced that 90% of Georgia’s current vehicle fleet will be replaced by electric cars within the next 10 years.
The PM made the statement while presenting the 'Green Policy - Eco-friendly Transport' project.
“The import of electric cars will start next year and over the next one year over 2,000 electric vehicles will be imported to Georgia,” he stated.
From January 2017, a law came into force in Georgia tripling excise duties on cars with right-hand drive.