Works and Transport Minister Veikko Nekundi said investigations are ongoing to determine how many vehicles imported from Hong Kong may have been registered with false information. 

Nekundi said law enforcement teams are already working on the matter. The Roads Authority (RA) recently halted the registration of vehicles imported from Hong Kong after it was discovered that some vehicles had allegedly been registered with altered manufacturing dates.

In an interview in Windhoek, Nekundi said investigations revealed a worrying trend where the year of manufacture of some vehicles was changed to make them qualify for import into Namibia.

“As it stands now, the reason we suspended [the registration] is that we have observed that several cars that are imported from Hong Kong, their date of manufacturing is being altered to fall within the time frame of 14 years,” he said.

Namibian law only allows the importation of vehicles that are not older than 14 years. According to Nekundi, altering the manufacturing date does not only breaks the law but also puts buyers at risk.

“You are told you are being sold a car of a 2021 model, but this is supposed to be a car of 2009. Even customers are suffering the consequences of this,” he said.

He stressed that the suspension applies only to vehicles imported from Hong Kong, not to all imported vehicles.

“It is rightly so that we have suspended the registration of vehicles from Hong Kong. It is really an unfortunate situation. Some people are really caught in such a quagmire environment unintentionally,” he said.The minister apologised to those who may have imported vehicles legally and are now affected by the suspension.

“I apologise for the inconvenience that might have been caused to those people who have bought legitimate vehicles. But to ensure that we leave no questionable space, we have to put the registration of these cars on suspension,” he said.

Nekundi said the government’s main priority is upholding the law and protecting the country’s reputation.

“As a government, we must preserve the standing integrity of our state insofar as the perseverance of our laws is concerned. As a country, we have laws, and we expect all citizens to comply,” he said.

He added that if citizens believe certain laws need to be changed, they should approach their elected representatives, but until then, the existing laws must be respected.

“The operation is currently underway. The boots are on the ground. If we detect or come across evidence, the law will take its course,” he warned.

He said that those found guilty will be held accountable, while innocent buyers will not be punished unfairly.

“We will leave no stone unturned, and at the same time, those who are innocent will not be punished just because they have a car that is registered,” he said.

Although he could not provide exact figures on the number of affected vehicles, Nekundi said the situation is under control and that the government expects to give a clearer update soon.

“I believe by the end of next week or so, we should be able to come back to the citizens with measures in place,” he said.

Restored 

The Roads Authority (RA) later lifted the temporary suspension on the registration of vehicles imported from Hong Kong after uncovering fraudulent activities linked to the misrepresentation of vehicle ages.

In a statement issued this week, the RA said preliminary investigations found that some vehicles presented for registration had discrepancies in their manufacturing dates and supporting documents. The authority said this practice violates the Import and Export Act of 1994, which prohibits the importation and registration of vehicles older than 12 years.

“As part of our preliminary findings, certain vehicles presented for registration had discrepancies in their manufacturing dates and documentation,” RA’s statement reads. The discovery prompted the authority to temporarily delay the processing of registration applications for vehicles imported from Hong Kong as a precautionary step while investigations continue.

However, following a review of the situation, the RA announced that, with immediate effect, it has resumed accepting applications for the registration of vehicles imported from Hong Kong.

“Applications for the registration of vehicles imported from Hong Kong will be accepted with immediate effect,” the statement read.

The authority has, however, introduced stricter verification measures to prevent further fraud. All applications for used imported vehicles submitted through the NaTIS system must now be accompanied by a valid copy of an import permit issued by the Ministry of International Relations and Trade. 

This is to ensure full compliance with the Import and Export Act, 1994 (Act No. 30 of 1994). The RA said it has implemented “enhanced authentication requirements” for all used imported vehicles to safeguard the integrity of Namibia’s vehicle registration system.

“The RA will strictly enforce these measures to protect the integrity of Namibia’s vehicle registration system and ensure full compliance with applicable legislation,” the statement added.

The authority also called on the public to assist in the fight against fraud by reporting any suspected illegal activities related to vehicle imports and registration.

-ljason@nepc.com.na