Parliament to discuss car fee increases next week

Published

Motor vehicle users will in the very future see the proposed increase in user-fees as the bill is set to go before Parliament next week.

Parliament will convene next Tuesday at 9:30 am and that bill amongst others will be read.

According to this week’s Cabinet notes, several bills will receive their first reading; and five bills will be read a second and third time when debate will take place.

It was Prime Minister Gaston Browne who first publicly mentioned the increase of fees on the Browne and Browne Show some weeks ago.

Fast forward to last week’s Cabinet and it was confirmed that government would be moving forward with the initiative.

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The Cabinet announced that the government will increase licensing fees for various types of vehicles, including buses, cars, and trucks, to help fund significant road repairs.

Initially, the focus was on raising fees primarily for heavy-duty trucks and earth-moving equipment. Still, Ambassador Lionel Hurst, the Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister’s Office, clarified during last week’s Post Cabinet Press Briefing that the fee hike will now apply to nearly all vehicles, with the sole exception being tractors.

What exactly that increase will be is left to be seen.

This story was first published by Antigua News on : antigua.news/2025/02/20/parliament-to-discuss-car-fee-increases-next-week. © 2025 Antigua News. Republication without permission is not allowed.

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Comments (6)

  • Stone February 20, 2025, 9:32 AM

    Place your bets ladies and gentlemen, the dice is about to be rolled but please remember that no matter what number comes up, you will lose…
    Reply
  • Antigua Surf February 20, 2025, 9:33 AM

    All these taxes we pay and we still have to pay more to license our vehicles to as they say “help fund significant road repairs”. Make it make sense. The governments main focus should be on fixing the drainage lines. As long as we have these fixes then the roads will live on. But oh well. I’m just another voice they will never listen to.
    Reply
  • hmmm February 20, 2025, 10:02 AM

    After you made your mind up about a matter you decided to discuss it in Palriament? What back to front business is this?
    Reply
  • Luka Johnson February 20, 2025, 10:21 AM

    More taxes? and the prices of food going up, and the price of rent going up and the price of electricity going up and water that we don’t even have also rising, and they think we are doing well? what the hell is this?
    Reply
  • WiseOne February 20, 2025, 12:47 PM

    Looks like motor vehicle users are about to get a lesson in economics in this likkle country yah! Just when we thought our wallets were safe, along comes a proposed increase in user fees.ABLP nah joke. It’s like a surprise party, but instead of cake, we get… higher fees! I can already hear the cars honking in dismay. Parliament must really think we have a bottomless pit for a wallet! Hope they serve snacks during the session, because this is gonna need some serious munchies to digest! 😂
    Reply
  • Donna February 20, 2025, 2:37 PM

    I thought the CIP revenue was to take care of the shortfall finance for the roads infrastructure rehabilitation and repairs. What is the CIP revenue being spent on other than paying salaries and wages?
    Reply

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