Registration fees for pickup trucks and vans will be raised to 6 per cent of the vehicles value from the current rate of 2 per cent from April 10, according to a revised Government decree.

In Viet Nam, pickups are classed as multi-purpose vehicles with capacity of below 1.5 tonnes suitable for the use in the inner cities as well as rural areas because they can carry both people and cargo.

This regulation will be applied for all cities and provinces, excluding Ha Noi, where the owners of pickups and vans will have to pay a registration fee of 7.2 per cent.

Pickups have many of the modern features found in normal cars, but the registration is much lower than the 10-12 per cent applied to the average sedan, making them a popular choice.

According to the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, around 18,500 were sold in 2018.

The decree also states that organisations and individuals exempt from the fee (cars for foreign diplomats and staff) will have to pay the registration fee if they hand over or sell the vehicles to other organisations or individuals. The rate will be based on the current value of the vehicle. — VNS