According to a report, the Naza Group of Companies says it is hoping that the government will see fit to lower the duty structure for cars by 20% to 30% for the 2012 Budget to give businesses a boost and the public the ability to spend more.

Its joint Group executive chairman Datuk SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin said the people are complaining that the duty structure was too high, adding that a reduction in duties would help create an interest among the people to buy cars, the report by Bernama stated.

“A lot of people have liquid cash but they need the right reason to spend. If we can lower the duty structure, it will help increase the saving power. There’s no point people having so much cash and they don’t want to spend. the economy will not grow,” he told Bernama at the launch yesterday of the Naza Racing Team, which will be competing in the Ferrari 458 Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Round 4 in Sepang this weekend.

In related news, Naza is hoping to bring the series to Malaysia as part of the calendar on the Ferrari Challenge Asia Pacific racing series, which is managed and coordinated by Ferrari, and that the race this weekend was an initiative carried out by the company to steer things this way.

“If they are happy with the exposure and the hospitality we show them, I’m not surprised that next year, we’re going to have five or six Malaysian cars on the Sepang circuit,” SM Faisal said.

The manufacturing arm of the Naza Group, Naza Automotive Manufacturing (NAM), has recorded the production of its 150,000th vehicle at its facility in Gurun, Kedah. The milestone was reached yesterday. To mark the historic occasion, Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir commemorated the 150,000th vehicle, a Naza Forte 1.6SX, produced at the facility.

NAM began operations in May 2004 with a RM500 million facility on an 140-acre parcel of land, and rolled out its first vehicle, a Naza Ria, in August that year.

The facility has produced 18 models at the plant since commencing operations, these being the Ria, Citra, Sorento, Spectra, Suria, Bestari, Forza, Sportage, Spectra 5, Optima, Rondo, Pregio, Picanto and Forte, as well as the Peugeot 407, 308, 207 and the 3008.

Currenly, the following models – Forte, Pregio, Citra, Rondo and the Peugeot 407, 308, 207 and 3008 are assembled at NAM. For 2011, NAM is on track to deliver 15,540 units, with the target for 2012 being 30,050 units. On the export front, NAM has been exporting units of the Peugeot 207 to Thailand and Indonesia, while the Kia Pregio van is being exported to Indonesia.

The facility is currently undergoing a RM714 million upgrading and expansion exercise over a six-year period, which began last year. Under this exercise, NAM will invest in the upgrading of facilities, plant expansion, new model introductions and research and development.

Naza and General Electric have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore potential collaboration in Malaysia in three areas – opportunities in the electric vehicle (EV) sector, the implementation of sustainable property development and opportunities in the healthcare services field.

The MOU was inked by Zakaria Ismail, group corporate affairs director of the Naza Group and Stuart Dean, CEO of GE Asean, at a signing ceremony on Friday evening. Also present at the ceremony was John G. Rice, vice chairman of GE, president/CEO of GE Global Growth and Operations, as well as Hamid Ismail, special project director, Naza Group.

Nothing concrete has been yet determined in the automotive-related sector, but the venture is hoping to explore the creation of a platform that combines both parties’ expertise to support EV development in the country, across the spectrum from infrastructure to technology applications.

The collaboration will entail joint-lobbying and education to raise public and government awareness, while engaging in further opportunities such as utilising GE battery technologies in Naza’s electric vehicle manufacturing line, and running electric vehicle pilot tests in several cities across Malaysia. Undoubtedly, we’ll be hearing more about developments as things progress, though when it will all start to come about remains to be seen.