Ditwah Delayed Your Car by Months — Should You Still Pay the 3% Penalty?

After Cyclone Ditwah disrupted ports and deliveries, vehicle importers say sales have roughly halved, and some buyers whose cars are stuck in clearance are staring down Customs' penalty for late registration, which is charged per month if an imported vehicle isn't registered within 90 days of the Customs Declaration date and can run up to 45% of the CIF value over time. The Automobile Importers Association wants that penalty waived for cyclone-hit shipments, arguing buyers already lost money to flood damage and port delays, so adding a tax penalty on top isn't fair. Others say the 90-day rule exists for a reason: without it, importers could sit on stock indefinitely, dodge duty changes, and the RMV backlog only gets worse. If you've got a vehicle stuck in this limbo right now, or you cleared yours on time and aren't keen on bending deadlines for everyone else, this affects you either way. Did the cyclone genuinely stop you from registering on time, or is this importers asking for a break they'd want regardless? Oyage gaadiya panthi karanna parakku unada Ditwah nisa, nattam me importer lage request eka hariyatama?