Government invests 90m euros in imported cars

The Romanian Government will spend over 180 million euros for the "Rabla" car scrappage scheme, which this year will reach almost 200,000 vouchers, after being extended for a third time, by a further 30,000 vouchers, worth 3,800 RON each. With Dacia accounting for around 50% of the cars available under the scheme, almost 90 million euros will be spent to support imported car brands.

If the car market reached 100,000 units this year, almost two thirds of it would be state-subsidised, with the Government paying 180 million euros in order for 67,000 Romanians to buy a new car, if each used three vouchers.

By the end of last week, almost 114,800 junk cars had been scrapped, but only 67,700 vouchers had been used for the acquisition of a new car, according to statistics of the Environmental Fund Administration, while the remaining vouchers (almost 47,000) are still traded on the free market.

"As far as the Environment Ministry is concerned, this year's scrappage scheme is a success because 110,000 junk cars have been scrapped so far, with their number to increase to 190,000 by the end of the year, which means the national car fleet will be renewed," said Constantin Stroe, vice-president of Automobile Dacia, and chairman of the Romanian Car Manufacturers Association (ACAROM).