Jarrett pushes for lower hybrid, electric vehicle duties

Earl Jarrett, chairman of the Jamaica Automobile Association (JAA), is advocating that import and other duties on hybrid and electric vehicles be further reduced in order that Jamaican and other Caribbean consumers can purchase them, thereby enhancing fuel efficiency.

He emphasised that with the right type of public policy there is opportunity for more hybrid vehicles to be introduced into the region. These use cleaner fuel or a combination with other renewable fuel sources, such as bio-fuels. "It is, therefore, an opportunity for the State to consider a further reduction of the duties on hybrid vehicles as an incentive to get more persons to make the switch," Jarrett explained.

The JAA chairman advanced the duty incentive during his presentation, 'Fuel Economy in the Caribbean: A Consumer Perspective', at last week's Cleaner Fuels and More Efficient Vehicles Conference for the Caribbean, held at the Knutsford Court Hotel, New Kingston, from February 3-4.

Jarrett pointed out that while fuel costs will remain a major factor for consumers, the issue of global fuel efficiency should be elevated on the regional agenda through a public-education campaign. "This campaign will lift the discussion levels about the importance of fuel efficiency and cleaner fuels. This will help consumers to be far more aware of the social and economical benefits of cleaner fuels," he noted.

In addition, he said that there needed to be greater advocacy to support better vehicles and cleaner fuels being used in the region, supported by standards and policies that would support these efforts. "Consumers are concerned about fuel efficiencies and achieving lower petrol consumption, while at the same time having high-performance fuels. This is balanced by their health concerns and they are prepared to have low lead and sulphur levels in their fuel," Jarrett further stated.

The two-day subregional workshop was initiated through the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles and the Global Fuel Economy Initiative. It was organised by the United Nations Environment Programme, the FIA Foundation and the CARICOM Secretariat. Representatives from seven Caribbean and Latin American countries attended the conference to ascertain the status of the region on cleaner fuels and efficient vehicles. Further, it was intended to assist in the creation of national action plans to support the implementation of policies for more efficient national fleets.

In his presentation, Joseph Williams, programme manager in the Energy Division of the CARICOM Secretariat, maintained that in some small states transportation energy use is more than 50 per cent of the total energy consumption. "In the context of imported fuel, if we are really serious about transformation of the energy sector this should be the target, as in some cases, electricity only accounts for 25-30 per cent of energy use," Williams said.

Other major presenters at the conference included Fulgence St Prix of the Caribbean Organisation for Standards and Quality, Elisa Dumitrescu of the United Nations Environment Programme, and Lew Fulton, researcher at the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Davis.