OWNERS of buses in the country have asked the government to reduce the bus import tax which has increased from Shs 40 million to Shs 90 million.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam, at the launch of Yutong's spare offices, the owners said that the tax charged by the government is high, so much so that some traders are unable to afford it.

Muhsin Said, the representative of Shabiby buses has said: "The government should look at how to reduce the tax, the tax has become too high for one bus to import, it has reached 90 million shs, that is why many people cannot afford it and are lost in the market."

And the owner of Lupundije Express buses, Rogers Malaki, has said that many factors are an obstacle for investors.

"When our colleagues come to invest, they expect to meet a friendly environment for investment, when they encounter a few obstacles, it becomes difficult and some fail and leave," he said.

The manager of Ester buses, Godwin Saul on his part spoke about the opening of the Youtong office in the country that it will be of great benefit, first of all it will help to be sure of spare parts and they will be easily available according to the current situation.

On the part of the representative of Yutong Tanzania, Erick Si said that the factory will be big and will serve all the countries of East and Central Africa.

He said that this will provide an opportunity for car dealers to be sure of getting real and better spare parts at a low cost unlike now.

He said, Yutongs with front engines entered the Tanzanian market for the first time in 2009/10 and so far more than 500 buses are in the East African market.

"Yutong is the world's largest bus manufacturing company, in 2015 we sold 67,000 cars in the world worth 4 billion US dollars and became the only company whose sales grow by nine percent per year," said Si.