This is just the beginning. This was the warning from some 200 members of the T&T Automotive Dealers Association who protested outside the Parliament building at the Waterfront Complex, Port-of-Spain, yesterday over what they insisted was Government's decision to change policy for importation of foreign used cars without consultation with stakeholders.
The association's president, Visham Babwah, said his disgruntled members intended to call on Parliament to reverse the new policy which barred the importation of gasoline-powered vehicles more than four years old.
Previously, foreign used car dealers were allowed to import vehicles that were up to six years old.
The policy, which took immediate effect, also restricted prospective buyers importing cars for personal use to do so every four years instead of every three years.
Babwah added: "Government had said consultation at every step of the way but this decision was made like a thief in the night.
"Businesses don't operate like that. We still have people who have cars in Japan and cannot get approval from the Ministry of Trade to import these cars."
He said the association had a meeting with Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon last week, during which she reportedly told dealers to try to diversify into agriculture.
"That is insulting to me and all my members, Babwah said.
Ian Maharaj, owner of Best Motors Ltd, in Montrose, Chaguanas, expressed concern that his family-run business was about to close.
"Since the move we are not able to purchase cars currently because the prices of the four-year-old cars are very high and because of the demand, as well it is making it worse.
"And with the four-year-old vehicles the demand only goes up and at the end of the day the consumer will have to pay that higher price and in this current recession we are seeing that they will not pay that price," Maharaj said.
Not only customers would be lost but businesses would also be forced to close, Maharaj added.
"Most dealerships are family-run companies so it's like a whole family would be on the breadline. We are heading there already. Like everyone else I am very worried," he said.