Budget 2023, the first one presented by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, seems to have contained nothing on auto industry matters this time round. Unlike the last one which sparked off a rush to introduce EVs (electric vehicles) with full tax exemption for a few years, this Budget did not offer anything new.
Nor was there confirmation of what had been mentioned in the Budget last October (which was not tabled in Parliament) – the extension of the tax-exemption for CBU (completely built-up) vehicles beyond December 31, 2023. While the exemption is until the end of 2025 for locally-assembled EVs, the car companies are hopeful that there can be a longer period CBU models to encourage more widespread adoption in the country.
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