Federazzjoni Maltija Vetturi Antiki(FMVA)

Newsletter – December 2012

The FMVA is pleased to confirm the recent Budget 2013 measures and how these affect classic vehicle ownership in the Maltese Islands. The concessions came about following months of negotiations with the Ministry of Finance as well as Transport Malta.

1. No vehicle license and/or 1^st registration tax is to be levied on authenticated vehicles 50 years old and over. This very important measure means that whoever imports a vehicle from abroad simply pays the small administration and number-plate fees. Following the vehicle’s arrival in Malta one simply applies to have it registered as a classic vehicle by using form VEH 15 plus the usual VEH 01 and VEH 02 forms.
2. Classic vehicles at 30 years instead of 35 years of age. The new 30-year rule is “rolling” which means for example, that from 2013 vehicles manufactured in 1983 will become eligible. Of course the usual applicable criteria for classic certification still apply.
3. No yearly Road License payable. No certified classic vehicle shall be liable to pay this fee which is a huge benefit to enthusiasts. The only payment is an €8 administration fee for every license renewal.
4. Single License Multi Vehicle (SLMV) Scheme. Since road licences are now free the SLMV scheme has automatically been revoked. This means that everything has reverted back to normal and that there are no restrictions on how many vehicles one may use at any one time. It also means that the very unpopular and complex procedures of the SLMV scheme are also gone, so owners can now also obtain their road licence discs when they renew for their insurance.

5.   Classic Vehicle Insurance. Good news here too. Following discussions with the FMVA, Gasan Mamo Insurance, Thomas Smith and Atlas Insurance have informed us that although the SLMV scheme has finished, single vehicle insurance will also continue to be offered. Those owners who are absolutely certain they will only be using one vehicle at a time can opt to retain this type of cover thereby saving even more money.

The above concessions are a fantastic boost to the classic vehicle movement in Malta, but they did not come about by chance. The FMVA has been hammering-away for a very long time toarrive where we are today. This only underlines our belief that it is much better to focus and concentrate on just a few concessions and work quietly behind the scenes to obtain them.

Our modus operandi is very different from that used by those who go to the authorities with a long “shopping-list” of requests from many different sports, interests and hobbies and simply hope that something might be given to classic vehicle owners! Our interest is in classic vehicles only so we do not try to “be all things to all men”. Our approach is to be patient and we work day in and day out with the authorities helping to solve problems for them as well as the many enthusiasts who seek our advice and assistance when required. We areconvinced that the trust that has been built up over the years between the FMVAand the authorities was crucial in obtaining these positive results.

We will not stop here however. The FMVA will over the next few months be tackling other issues such as the VRT for classic vehicles and the issue of Maltese drivers taking part in classic vehicle events abroad. There may be other issues that affect classic vehicle owners which we are not aware of, in which case we would welcome any comments and suggestions.

Finally, if you receive this newsletter electronically, at the time of writing there are still just a few days left for those who may wish to register an undocumented vehicle. This newly re-opened scheme closes definitely on the 21st December 2012.

Safe Classic Motoring

Stephen Zerafa

PRO

FMVA