NA MP Angelique Romou.
~ Irion to look at creating ‘vanity plates’ ~
PHILIPSBURG--Parliament on Monday evening approved a motion tabled by National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament (MP) Angelique Romou for motorists who are late with paying their motor vehicle tax to be fined instead of losing their licence plates.
The motion was approved by 13 votes for and two against. All MPs voted in favour of the motion with the exception of MPs Raeyhon Peterson (PFP) and Christophe Emmanuel (Independent), who voted against.
The motion called on Finance Minister Ardwell Irion to submit a proposal for the implementation of a late fee for late payment of the motor vehicle tax by March 31, 2022. The proposal, the motion says, must include suggestions on how the Motor Vehicle Tax Ordinance, especially Article 25, can be amended to reflect the implementation of the late fee and that the implementation of the late fee would go into effect retroactive to January 1, 2022.
In commenting on the motion, Irion said the motion had been discussed and in the next few months he will come with a proposal on what a late fee would look like. He said in addition to persons losing their plates, authorities would look at creating a “vanity plate” where motorists can pay an increased price for a vanity plate that belongs to them. This can potentially increase government’s income.
In her motion, Romou said the Motor Vehicle Tax Ordinance regulating number plates indicates that persons must pay their motor vehicle tax before March 1 of each year. As a result of not paying vehicle tax on time, taxpayers can lose their current registered number plate. As a result of losing their current registered number plate, the taxpayer receives a new number plate and must go through various procedures external to government.
This does not directly generate any additional revenue for government and rather than taking away the number plates from late paying motorists, government can consider implementing a late fee, which will eliminate the hassle for the taxpayer (due to the issuance of a new number plate) but also generate revenue for government.
The motion says also that article 25 of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance stipulates the acts that are punishable by a fine of the first category and can possibly be amended to include a fine for late payment. The implementation of a late fee may also improve the compliance rate of on-time payment of motor vehicle tax, thus improving the liquidity of government, Romou said in the motion.
