COE bidding likely to be postponed, say observers

Postponement of COE tenders is uncommon. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Will certificate of entitlement (COE) bidding be postponed? Industry watchers think it is likely, given the new measures announced to combat the Covid-19 outbreak.

The Straits Times understands that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) met a number of representatives from the motor industry yesterday as well as this morning.

Given the unprecedented nature of the developing coronavirus crisis, observers said putting on hold all motor-related transactions would be almost a given. "I think if all non-essential businesses are to cease, then COE bidding will have to be postponed, since the motor trade is not considered to be essential," one motor trader said.

Several others echoed the sentiment, saying the tender starting on Monday and ending on Wednesday may be called off until further notice.

One, however, reckoned the coming exercise will carry on, as it may be too disruptive to call off the bidding at such short notice. "They will continue with this one, but postpone the following one," he predicted.

Postponement of COE tenders is uncommon. Since the vehicle quota system started in 1990, there have been only a couple of delays. One was in 2005, because of a technical glitch. Another was in 2017, ahead of key changes to motorcycle taxes.

But any postponement in the wake of the more stringent stay-home measures announced yesterday is likely to be longer. The new measures, which include the suspension of all non-essential services, are to be in place from next week till May 4 - four weeks or two incubation cycles of the virus.

If COE tenders are postponed during this period, it will be the longest suspension of bidding. It will entail disruption to a host of other motor-related transactions, such as vehicle registrations, deregistrations, and transfers of used cars. The prospect is a Catch-22 situation.

A veteran motor trader said: "If they stop bidding, they will need to extend the expiry of COEs obtained during the previous tenders, as well as cars due to be scrapped.

"If they continue with the COE bidding, they will have to allow us to carry on selling cars. It will be interesting to see what they will do."

Mr Neo Nam Heng, chairman of diversified Prime group, said the economic slowdown triggered by the virus is already causing havoc to the motor trade. "Bank loans are getting harder and longer to be approved, businesses are holding back purchases of commercial vehicles because of uncertainty," he said. "We have actually written in to ask for the six-month validity of COEs to be extended to 12 months."

The Straits Times has reached out to the LTA for comment. Earlier this week, the authority announced a suspension of electronic road pricing (ERP) charges in some locations, with rates at most other sites to be slashed from Monday - a first in the ERP's 22-year history.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 04, 2020, with the headline COE bidding likely to be postponed, say observers. Subscribe