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Victor Aquilina (picture) purchased his Chrysler Voyager from the Netherlands last year, but will never use it on Maltese roads because the Malta Transport Authority (ADT) lays down a minimum Lm11,000 registration fee for his 3,300cc vehicle.
According to the latest issue of the Malta Insurance Association’s vehicle value guidebook, the 1999 Chrysler Voyager is valued at a market value of Lm5,500.
“My model is actually a 1993 Voyager, but the authorities at the ADT told me that the minimum registration fee is Lm11,000, given that its engine is over 3,000cc,” says Aquilina, who can only drive his car out of the garage and straight to a harbour, from where he can then board a ferry and drive his car anywhere in the EU as a tourist.
While new car imports which exceed 3,000cc are charged a registration tax of 75 per cent of the cost, insurance and freight value, their used counterparts have to be valued by ADT officials – but the minimum tax remains unchanged at Lm11,000.
“Since I cannot be expected to pay Lm11,000 for a car that is probably worth less than Lm5,000, I keep it garaged. It still has Dutch licence plates, meaning that I pay my road licence in the Netherlands which is EUR350 every three months, including insurance. But I cannot drive it anywhere in Malta until I pay the hefty registration tax.”
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