KUALA LUMPUR: The government will unveil policies on energy efficient vehicles (EEV) by the first half of this year, which would see the opening up of the segment in the automotive industry.
Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said this would provide good opportunities and a level-playing field for local and foreign players in the industry.
"This is one of the segments that we think is important under the ongoing revised National Automotive Policy (NAP). We have decided this is the segment that we need to open up in the near future," he said at the launch of the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show 2013 (KLIMS13) here on Tuesday.
He said the government is ironing out policy details such as on technology, fuel emission, standards and quality, adding Malaysia is the only Asean country focusing on the EEV market.
"All the stakeholders in the automotive trade have agreed on two things that we should make the production and marketing of EEV the future focus of the industry and that we should seek to establish a leadership position in the region for this sub-sector," he said.
Mustapa said although the government has not announced the final shape and form of the revised NAP, it will first introduce the pre-package customised incentives to support the development of the EEV sub-sector.
This is all part of the transition period towards the opening up of the automotive market towards 2015 and 2016 with the realisation of Asean Economic Community (AEC) and the implementation of free trade agreements between Malaysia and trade partners like Australia and Japan.
"With 2015 and 2016 around the corner, everyone in the motor sector are aware that they have to open up and all of them are gearing up to face new reality and new competition," he said. - Bernama
SOURCE / The Star Online