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THE MOTOR INDUSTRY has celebrated this year’s Budget as a full stop on the austerity era and one which finally left car owners free from any tax hikes.
Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) director-general Alan Nolan said today’s financial roadmap sent a strong message the economy was moving forward.
He said this year the industry had enjoyed the highest registrations since the recession started.
“In this context we particularly welcome the statement that none of the motoring taxes have been increased,” he said.
Finance Minister Michael Noonan today announced tax hikes on cigarettes, tobacco and and gambling to pay for the government’s extra €585 million in spending, but he singled out car-related expenses as being off the hook this year.
“I am not raising taxes on petrol or diesel; I am not raising motor tax; I am not raising the Vehicle Registration Tax,” he said.
Confident for the year ahead
Nolan said the car industry could now be “confident about the year ahead” and it hoped customers’ increased spending power would help create jobs and raise tax revenue through better sales.
The latest car-sales figures from the Central Statistics Office showed nearly 90,000 new cars were sold in the period to September this year, up 30% on the same time in 2013.
It followed a series of price hikes as motorists with older cars were hit with tax rises of up to 25% last year, while owners of newer, lower-emission vehicles had smaller registration fee increases.
Taxes on fuel went up four times in Budgets during the recession years and the government now keeps up to 60% of the retail price of petrol thanks to its various tariffs.
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Gerry Adams without doubt. He has all the twenty something feminists wet. Strange I know, but their obsession with Adams and feigning a love for the Irish language is quite prevalent.
@Liam: twenty something in terms of age. x
@Liam: Is ‘Hennessy’ your last name Liam?
@Marie Agnew: I don’t know who Liam Hennesey is but if you want it to be, then yes. xx
@Liam: Jesus Liam your first post is cringeworthy.
By tweeting these politicians are not answering direct questions about various topics of which people are interested. No accountability.
How does Leo get the credit when it was the PR firm he gave five million in tax payer money to that did all the work for him?
@Wade Wilson: Remember Enda had an US PR firm in Dublin Castle a few years ago is make them and austerity sexy lol.
Tweeting the new excuse for actually doing something.
What the hell is the ‘ ‘Justin Tredeau School of School Media’ ‘?
Its at the Derek Zoolander Center For Children Who Can’t Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too.
@A fenstivus for the renst of us: different colours socks and (likely) underwear.
I think I’m the obvious choice here
Too many tweets make a tw*t
*shrug*
Why is the Journal allowed to continue their completely unbalanced and utterly biased reporting of proponents of removing the 8th Amendment. Why the emphasis and biased reporting on tweets by three politicians O’Connell, Ruane and Coppinger on the 8th while they have engaged with many other topics on social media. It’s time for adherence to balanced reporting legislation and severe penalties for those who offend.
Fancy Socks Viradker . Lotsa style, Little Substance!
Yes o yes, PEE in the Leaving Cert…
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