KARACHI: Import of new and used heavy bikes has increased sharply during the ten months of the current fiscal year reflecting the rising interest of young generation in riding such motorcycles.
Figures released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed quadrupled jump in heavy bike imports to $ 4.6 million in the period from July 2013 to April 2014 as compared to $ 971,000 in the same period during FY 2012-13.
The trend of imports of heavy bikes had been continuing in previous fiscal year as the import almost doubled to $ 1.5 million as compared to $ 785,000 in 2011-12. PBS figures did not mention number of bikes in the above importing periods.
Local assemblers have been active in bringing brand new costly bikes which are definitely not aimed for local assembly in Pakistan in future due to their higher engine power and raging prices.
However, the assemblers, while trumpeting of achieving higher localisation for more job creation and vendor development in every forum, have been actively importing these vehicles.
Atlas Honda introduced brand new imported 150cc and 500cc bikes at Rs 660,000 and Rs 1.25 million respectively. Pak Suzuki Motor Company’s recently imported Inazuma 250cc, Intruder 800cc and Hayabusa 1,300cc bikes, which were priced Rs 675,000, Rs 1.5 million and Rs 2.4 million respectively. By now they carry price tags of Rs 725,000, Rs 1.6 million and Rs 2.5 million. The prices have been raised despite rupee appreciation against the dollar.
Heavy bikes are more popular in some big cities of Punjab as compared to Karachi where sales volume is slow. Due to rising number of imports many people have opened service outlets in Punjab and in Karachi dealing only in heavy bikes.
In total imports, the share of used bikes of Japanese, European and American brands is higher than the brand new heavy bikes. A Japanese bike assembler had sold over 60 units of heavy bikes in the country in the last eight months.
Government is also earning good deal of revenue from the import of heavy bikes and even in some cases cumulative taxes and duties cross a million rupees per bike.
Assemblers are not importing these heavy bikes for any future local assembly in Pakistan due to their very limited customers and exorbitant prices.
