China to halve purchase tax for small-engine cars

CHINA'S Ministry of Finance said on Tuesday (May 31) that it will halve a purchase tax for small-engine cars to boost auto sales.

The government will cut the tax for cars priced at no more than 300,000 yuan (S$61,728) and with 2.0-liter or smaller engines to 5 per cent of the sticker price, it said in a statement.

The tax cut will be applicable for purchases from Jun 1, 2022 through the end of the year.

The move was among a series of measures China's Cabinet unveiled on Tuesday to revive its economy as its stringent zero-Covid policies have disrupted production and dampened demand in recent months.

The government said last week that it planned to relieve car buyers of purchase taxes worth 60 billion yuan after the world's biggest auto market saw sales plunge almost 48 per cent in April from a year earlier.

Nissan's Sylphy, Volkswagen's Lavida and Great Wall Motor's Haval H6 are among the best-selling models in the category that will benefit from the tax cut. REUTERS