Sindh excise dept stops registration of ‘select’ motorcycles, dealers claim

Motorcycle dealers in Pakistan’s southern province Sindh have claimed that authorities have stopped the registration of two-wheelers of certain manufacturers without any reason.

According to dealers, an estimated 2,000 motorcycles are sold in Karachi every day. The decision by the Sindh Excise and Taxation Department has created difficulties for both buyers and sellers, dealers have claimed.

The dealers didn’t name the manufactures whose registration have been reportedly stopped.

The official registration fee for a 70cc-engine motorcycle is PKR 6,500. Still, buyers often end up paying an additional PKR 1,000 unofficially as “speed money” for early processing of their registration documents, dealers have claimed.

According to the excise department’s website, the registration fee for two-wheelers less than 149cc is 1% of the vehicle’s value. For vehicles over 150cc, the fee is 2% of the value.

The owners also pay PKR 500 as the Motor Vehicle Transfer fee at the time of transfer of the ownership. However, dealers claim that an additional PKR 2,500 is being charged unofficially as "speed money" from owners for transfers.

Motor Vehicle Tax of PKR 1,800 is also charged for motorcycles and scooters less than 149cc and PKR 3,000 for those above 150cc.

Erroneous documents

The dealers also pointed out the excise department has printed more than 5,000 erroneous registration cards, causing legal issues for the vehicle owners.

The owners are facing difficulties in getting the errors rectified due to the unavailability of trained staff, the dealers have claimed.

They cards have been printed without proofreading, resulting in multiple errors in the name of owners and the vehicle’s registration number.