CNG News: 26 August, 2010

Vietnam's city wants to quit import taxes on CNG buses

With the collaboration of Saigon Transportation Mechanical Corporation and the Saigon Bus Joint Stock Company, Ho Chi Minh -the largest city of this Asian country- will launch a pilot program to test compressed natural gas buses performance. Local government aims to shore up the project with tax exemptions for NGVs. The program initially involves two CNG buses that will be put into operation on a trial basis, according to the municipal transport department. “CNG fuel costs about 50 per cent less than gasoline or diesel while emitting 60 per cent less carbon dioxide than other kinds of fuels,” commented department\'s deputy director Duong Hong Thanh. To strengthen this project of having a clean-burning alternative for public transport, Ho Chi Minh City People\'s Committee has asked the Finance Ministry to exempt import taxes for buses running on CNG. A methane-driven bus costs nearly VND3 billion (US$153,000). However, if transport companies were exempted from import taxes, the unit would cost them around VND1.56 billion ($79,560), detailed the official. G.E.T. Worldwide Ltd: CNG compressor - CNG consultancy