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Cuba Car Import Restrictions To Be Lifed Soon
The communist island country of Cuba is a paradise for classic car lovers from outside the country. That's because almost every car that runs on the streets of Cuba are decades old American classics, many of them over 50 years old! This unique sight is made possible due to the communist government which had imposed restrictions on car imports some 50 years ago.
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For Cubans though this is no less than a nightmare. Being a communist country, citizens can only buy cars from the government, however, very few new cars are imported. While citizens have been allowed to trade used cars among themselves for the last two years, those who want to own new cars are required to get a permit card from the government.
Obtaining the said authorization card, however, is next to impossible. These cards are issued in extremely limited numbers and most of the time they cost more than the car itself.
The restrictions have led to corruption and underground sales of cars. People with plenty of money to spare bribe officials to obtain permits and these cards have also started being issued illegally at higher prices.
The Washington Post quotes: "It's become clear that while private sales of cars between individuals has developed smoothly, the sale of cars using ‘authorization cards' has been inadequate and obsolete," the Communist Party newspaper Granma declared. "The card, apart from being overly bureaucratic, became a source of speculation and illicit self-enrichment."
The import restrictions have thus started to hurt the government financially and is one of the reasons why President Raul Castro has decided to change the half a century long rule. Soon, permit cards will no longer be required to purchase new cars and anyone with enough money will be allowed to buy them from the government.
The Cuban government will soon start sales of new and used cars, motorcycles, small trucks and microbuses to its citizens. Having said that, the cost of these cars will continue to be steep, enabling only the affluent to purchase new rides while the remaining population continues to struggle to keep their old cars running. But still, some change for the good is better than no change at all.
I have added an interesting 20 minute long mini documentary by MotorTrend about Cuban classic cars and their way of life which makes for a good watch.
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