Jamaica records 26% jump in motor vehicle imports in 2022
Published:Sunday | August 13, 2023 | 10:58 AM
Jamaica imported 50,786 motor vehicles worth $81 billion in 2022, approximately 26 per cent more than the number of vehicles allowed in the island in 2021.
In 2021, the Trade Board Limited granted import licences for 40,396 vehicles at a value of US$503 million (J$77 billion). Last year's value was US$531 million ($81 billion).
The information is contained in the 2022 Economic and Social Survey released by the Planning Institute of Jamaica last month. The Trade Board is the government entity responsible for the issuance of export and import permits for certain items.
The report said the monetary value of the motor vehicles represents the value declared by applicants through supporting documents when applying for an import licence. It said the figures may not be accurate or equivalent to the final valuation of the Jamaica Customs Agency.
Other products were issued 707 import permits valued at US$116 million compared with 767 permits valued at US$156 million in 2021. The report said this out-turn resulted from a decrease in the value and number of permits issued for the business and individual categories.
Meanwhile, the ESSJ said a total of 575,041 vehicles were certified fit by the Island Traffic Authority to utilise the island's roadways in 2022, compared with 578,811 during 2021.
The number of vehicles examined was 556, 968 compared with 578,700 in 2021, representing a four per cent dip.
Regarding public passenger service, some 34,928 vehicles were licensed to offer that service in 2022, compared with 32,145 in 2021. That's an increase of almost nine per cent.
The increased was driven by growth in the number of contract carriage; Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) sub-franchises; hackney carriage and rural route taxis.
The JUTC is a state-owned company that provides bus services to the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region.
The report said the JUTC maintained its 65 regular and 29 express routes in 2022.
But it said there was a decline of 13 per cent to 179 in the average number of buses that operated monthly in the KMTR. It marked the fifth consecutive year of decline.
Some 53 new buses are due shortly to boost the JUTC fleet.
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