BRAND NEW ONLY

The Bhutanese government has laid down that import of second-hand and re-conditioned cars will be banned henceforth. The ban will ensure that the old cars, which cause more pollution, will be off the roads. Import duty on new vehicles has also been reduced concomitantly to encourage buyers to go in for new cars instead of second-hand vehicles. According to government officials, it was difficult to get spare parts for second-hand cars. Moreover, the old cars, which were bought at low prices, caused more threat to the environment which was of "serious concern" to the government.